The Legend Of Zelda: The Current Caller
by NH3
Summary: After WW&PH, Link and Tetra have sailed into the Eastern Sea, where Ganondorf flexes his powers again. In a sea governed by the currents, Link has to search for the Current Caller and stop Ganondorf again, all while harboring a princely fugitive. R&R pls
1. Prologue: The Eastern Wind

NH3: Let's start a new story. A little bit back, I woke up, craving to play Wind Waker. So I brought another copy, played it, and suddenly started to form a fan fiction concept that I had to share. So he goes nothing, let's hope this is as good as the Halo one ^^

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda series of video games, and anything else that is affiliated.

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Chapter 1: The Eastern Wind

"Yeah!" The voice of several pirates yelled out at the same time, followed by the clanging of several beer jugs together. Tetra sighed a little bit, almost smiling at the partying pirates as she leaned on a railing above them. It was good to be back after that last adventure, and a perfect excuse to throw a party. Of course, her pirates took full advantage of that, despite the lack of time that had seemingly passed.

Currently, the pirates below her were having an improvised arm wrestling contest. Right on cue, another cheer went out as Gonzo beat the last of the pirates, which was the swabbie, Niko.

_Easy win… _she thought as she gently pushed herself from the railing and glanced around. Link was nowhere to be found, which was good. The Power Bracelets he had would have easily won him the contest, and severely damaged the crew's moral. But Tetra wanted to find him and talk a little. She didn't want to interrupt her pirate's fun—not to mention they were probably pretty drunk. Oh well.

Tetra glanced up at the crow's nest, moving a little to see if she could catch a glimpse of him. A flicker of green, and Tetra was already down from the raised stern and climbing the ladder.

As expected, Link was up there. Also as expected, Link was sleeping, his hat fluttering in the wind. Tetra would have scolded him for that, but it wasn't like anyone else was doing work. So she would let it slide.

"Link!" She yelled, and Link's eyes snapped open. She was going to yell at him to wake him though.

"Wake up," Tetra sighed, smiling. Link slowly but steadily raised his body up, wary of her.

"Don't worry, they're still partying down there," she said, immediately seeing the tension drop from his shoulders. Tetra took a deep breath.

"Don't tell anyone I said this Link, but….I'm sorry. Sorry for dragging you into all this. If I wasn't…Zelda…then none of this would have happened…"

"Don't worry—"

"But I can't! I feel like I drag you into too much nowadays…" Tetra was a little surprised at herself. Maybe she was still recovering from their last adventure…

She watched Link sigh a little before speaking.

"Hold out your hand," He said suddenly. Tetra blushed and put out her left hand.

"The other hand," Link said patiently. Tetra switched her hands and Link held it with his right, putting out his left hand to hover next to Tetra's. Almost immediately, their hands lit up with their respective Triforce pieces.

"It's not only you, it's that. If that was to fall into the wrong hands, we endanger the world…" Link said. Tetra sighed at his words. He was always right.

"I suppose…why does everyone always go after me?!" Tetra complained, and Link's mouth broke into a huge grin. Tetra took a playful swing at him, which he ducked despite the confined space. Link started laughing at that point, and Tetra knew she couldn't do anything about it.

"Alright, alright…" Tetra said as Link finished laughing. "It really wasn't that funny."

Link grinned again as Tetra rolled her eyes.

"Where are we headed?" She asked, changing the subject.

"East. Same as when we left Outset…" Link trailed off, and Tetra saw a small frown on his features.

"Don't you get homesick on me! You might see them soon enough," Tetra scolded. Link quickly composed himself.

"S-sorry about that…" he stuttered, surprised. Tetra ignored him as she looked ahead of the ship from the crow's nest.

"Still east…" she whispered. "Where does the wind want to take us?"

Link shrugged his shoulders next to her. They sighed as they looked out to the distance. Not even birds would fly this far out; there was no island to perch or rest on. The sky was an uninterrupted blue, and the horizon looked the same. Tetra knew she would eventually begin to hate it until they reached land. The adventure was over. The most they would get in terms of action would be a storm and even that sounded a little lame. But Tetra also felt she deserved some peace.

"I'm going to retire. I don't want to stay up for the rest of the day…" Tetra said, walking back to the ladder. She began to climb down it. "See you later, Link."

Link gave a small wave with his hand as he disappeared from her sight. Tetra quickly reached the bottom and went to the door leading inside, slipping through unnoticed by her pirates. She then swept into her room and shut the door, yawning.

It was definitely the adventure. She was incredibly exhausted now. Tetra half-wondered if Link was even remotely as tired as she was, before shaking her head in disbelief.

_Nah, that sounds impossible…_ she smiled as she thought to herself, climbing into her bed and shifting under the covers.

After a little bit, why she was rethinking the day and slowly drifting off to sleep, her eyes snapped open.

_What did he mean by, 'It's not only you'?_ She thought, before her eyes drooped even farther then before.

_Ugh…probably nothing…_

--

NH3: I know, this chapter is a little short, huh?

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own glasses.

I must say, originally, this was gonna be called "The Legend Of Zelda: The Eastern Sea" Glad I didn't though; it's not as interesting as the other titles of my stories...


	2. Dagger Cliffs

NH3: Next chapter. Thank god for summer.

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own winter, Nickelback, or Italy.

--

Chapter 2: Dagger Cliffs

Tetra sighed, leaning against the railing at the bow. Two days had passed and that glorious feeling of sailing into the horizon had simply…disappeared. It may have been in part that she could no longer see the horizon though.

The day before, they crept into an odd fog that didn't clear up over night. From the ship's deck, they sailed blindly. However, the fog was clearer from the crow's nest, and so they didn't have to turn away. They were following the wind; they couldn't really turn away, but this fog would have needed careful planning anyway. And all pirates knew that planning meant delays, which no pirate liked. Tetra was no exception.

She turned away from the railing, no longer wishing to stare upon such a bland view. Walking forward, she looked up at the crow's nest. She saw the familiar green hat waving gently in the wind and smiled. Link had the best eyes out of any of her pirates—and possibly anyone she ever met. She was glad to have him on board for this.

Tetra climbed down the ladder to the lower part of the ship's deck and looked around. The lack of action left everyone with mostly chores, and so the ship was surprisingly cleaner then usual.

Of course, not everything was clean, but it was cleaner. Tetra secretly wished Niko would dump his garbage pile overboard, but he protested, saying it was for a collection. She had let him, mainly because she didn't want to know much more. Now there was a garbage pile against the wall, near the ship's edge. Tetra would eventually do it herself, but that would be when the stench became unbearable!

_At least everyone else is a lot cleaner then that swabbie,_ she thought to herself as she walked forward. The deck was surprisingly empty.

_Everyone but Link must be below deck…_ Tetra thought as she opened the doors leading below. But not two steps in, she knew something was wrong. It was much too quiet. Tetra slowly crept downstairs, through the lit halls. Of course, no one was in her room as she passed, but that just made her even more wary.

The silence pressed down all around her as she went farther below deck. Not a sound. She looked in the last room, and finally got to panic internally.

_Everyone's gone!_ She thought as she rushed back upstairs and outside. The fog seemed to be closing in as she looked up.

"Link!" She yelled, but no reaction ensued. His hat only fluttered in the breeze.

"Damn…" she muttered as she quickly began to scale the ladder. Below her, the ship seemed to disappear into the fog, and Tetra could only shiver as she approached the top.

She climbed over the edge and stood up behind Link.

"Link!" She scolded, before gripping her head, covering her ears as a screech of terror pierced the very air, straight into her lungs as she gasped.

_Redead!_ She desperately thought as it turned towards her, all of Link's clothes melting away from it.

"No!" Tetra croaked as it fixated its eyes on her. She froze up, darkness flooding her very soul, her very being, as the arms reached forward.

And in that instant, it had her, and she let out a terrified scream, unable to battle such an awful enemy…

And then she woke, crying out in fear. She kicked her feet, pressing her back against her headboard and kicking the covers away. She breathed heavily, beads of sweat creeping down her skin as she shivered and held her legs close to her chest.

Tetra took a few minutes to compose herself, slowly banishing her fear as the need continued to rise. She could never afford a weak moment outside her room, so she found it a relatively good place to regain her attitude. But she still felt weak, scared, and useless…

_Just like a princess…_ she realized, before banging her head against the headboard. She wouldn't let herself think of that. She was Tetra! Not Zelda! Tetra! And with that thought, she stormed out of her room, feeling mostly better. She climbed the stairs out onto the deck outside.

The fog in reality wasn't as foreboding as the one of her dreams. And unlike her dreams, a few of her pirates were on the deck, as real as they could be. But they weren't what scared her most. Looking up to the crow's nest, she vaguely remembered how Link _was_ the Redead before catching herself.

_No! The Redead was only disguised as Link!_ She forced herself to think, taking a deep breath to let it sink in. But could she take a minute to see if he was still Link…?

_No! I have things to do. It was just a dream, and nothing like it will ever happen again… _She thought angrily as she climbed a ladder and walked toward the wheel upon the stern. Gonzo was steering, but all he did was hold the wheel steady. He had nothing more to do.

"Gonzo," she said, and he stiffened, probably a little surprised as well as respectful.

"Miss Tetra!" He responded.

"So, day three of our foggy trek, I see. How are our supplies holding up?" She continued.

"Fine, miss," Gonzo responded, relaxing a little. "Everybody's food is being rationed, like you said, and we're preserving water as much as we can allow."

"Good," she said, looking up towards the crow's nest. "Is he keeping us in the right direction?"

"Of course he is. I even checked my own compass to be sure…" Gonzo responded. He seemed a little proud of Link, even. Tetra sighed and looked out ahead of the ship.

"It feels like we are drifting almost. The wind blows, but we move unevenly…" She said, keeping a stone-cold face on. Gonzo didn't respond, and Tetra walked off, climbing back down the ladder. She felt a little better after Gonzo had talked about Link. But she still felt somewhat obliged to see him, and before she knew it, she was climbing the ladder to the crow's nest.

Looking down, she shivered. The fog engulfed the ship below like in her dream. But the pirates moving around and talking comforted her a little, and with determination, she pulled herself into the crow's nest.

Link immediately turned to her, a little surprised. But Tetra was already relieved at the sight of his currently serious face, knowing that Link was still Link. Even if that look didn't suit him at all.

"I'm just checking on you," Tetra immediately said, standing next to him and looking out. The view was better here. The sea of clouds practically replaced the water, although the fog thickened ahead, out of their sight.

Link stood next to Tetra, his eyes showing wonder at the sight; despite his frequent lookout duties, he was still amazed by the sight. Tetra sighed again.

"Link…I'm beginning to get worried about this fog. It is completely unnatural. It should have cleared up by now, but it hasn't…I think it's cursed…" Tetra said.

Link proceeded to say something, but Tetra didn't hear it. The ship suddenly jerked, jumping forward as they were thrown back, luckily catching themselves before falling over the edge. Tetra looked in amazement as the sails suddenly bellowed out, fully pushed by the wind. She immediately began to yell out orders.

"Tighten the sails! Steady the ship!" She yelled down below. The fog had cleared away a little, so she could now vaguely see her pirates rushing around below. The view ahead remained hidden though, and Tetra watched as the pirates called out to each other and her orders were fulfilled.

"Land ho!" Link suddenly yelled out, and Tetra whipped her head up to see the island approaching. It looked incredibly tall, not like the Tower Of The Gods, but still tall. And they were headed right for it!

"Hard to port!" She yelled down, before whipping off her belt and wrapping it around a rope that led to the steering wheel. She jumped and fearlessly zipped down, landing with a grunt and rushing over to the wheel, pushing Gonzo aside as she continued to steer left. The pirate ran to help man the sails as Tetra fought with the wheel.

The island loomed above them through the fog. It was gonna be close.

"Raise the sails!" Tetra yelled out. They would do well to stop, maybe get some information from the island's inhabitants. She watched with quiet satisfaction as the sails went up and they narrowly missed one column of rock sticking out of the water.

The ship quickly slowed down to a cruising speed and Tetra gently steered through a few more columns of rocks, trying to peer through the fog. Unsuccessful, she looked up.

"Link, do you see anywhere to stop?" She called up. A moment passed, before Link looked down at her.

"Over there!" He yelled pointing to the left. At the same time, a brilliant light enshrouded the ship, clearing more fog around them. She held up her hand and squinted her eyes to see another silhouette of a natural column. But this one had light shining down on them from the top, and Tetra realized it was an improvised lighthouse. She began to turn towards it.

"Raise the white flag!" She called out. A pirate flag would condemn them if they kept it up. Below her, Mako rushed to the mast with the bundle. Tetra couldn't remember the last time they had used it, a fact that was clearly supported by the dust that had gathered on it.

The moment the new flag went up, the light from the lighthouse moved ahead of the ship, clearing the fog away and serving as a guide to them, turning them where necessary. Soon enough, Tetra saw several boardwalks ahead, lodged into the side of the mountainous island.

"Make ready to dock!" She called out, steering in between two boardwalks. Below her, the pirates rushed around, grabbing rope and tossing it to attach the ship to shore. Soon enough, the ship came to an almost-complete stop. Tetra let go of the steering wheel and effortlessly hopped down to the lower deck.

"Drop the anchor!" She yelled. A huge splash was heard and the ship stopped moving completely. Next to her, Link slid down the ladder and looked out over their destination.

The port was more or less just several boardwalks connected against the rocks. The main boardwalk led into a dark cave, though Tetra could see a few torches inside, increasing in height as they got smaller.

_The island's settlement must be higher…_ Tetra thought as a couple of planks were placed over the side of the ship, forming a ramp. Tetra hopped up onto the top and turned back.

"Link! Gonzo! You're with me." She declared. No need for intimidation. Just information...

Link and Gonzo stepped forward and Tetra turned around, walking down the ramp. Behind her, she heard the creaking of the boards before landing on the stable boardwalk. They were in relatively good condition, and Tetra walked towards land, looking up at the incredible scale of this island.

"Tetra," Link whispered, causing her head to snap forward.

A small party gathered at the end of their walkway. They looked the same as them: ears pointy, size right. They were definitely Hylian in origin.

Tetra stopped before them, looking them over with a closer eye. A couple of them, both young men, wore rather elegant clothes. Their clothes were robed, colored red with yellow markings. They wore mantle-like chest pieces that stretched almost all the length down. Both were orange with yellow markings.

The rest of the group was mixed, and they stood behind these first two. A few seemed to be armed guards. Several were sailors, and the last few were curious bystanders. Tetra didn't pay much mind to them, instead focusing her gaze upon the two elegant figures. One of them opened his mouth.

"Chieftain Zano requests an audience with you," He said in a rather gruff voice. Tetra looked back at the two behind her, silently questioning their decision. They nodded.

"Alright, we'll see him. I'm Tetra. The big one is Gonzo. The guy in green is Link," She said, introducing the other two.

"Yes, Captain. This way," The other said with a noticeably lighter voice, mentioning them onto the path towards the nearby cavern. "Welcome to Dagger Cliffs."

--

NH3: If any of my fans check this out, they'll more then likely notice my improved writing style. This must be the longest chapter I've ever done for a story to date! (Good!)


	3. The New Problem

NH3: I plan to have a change in POV soon. Just letting you people know.

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own a good thing to disclaim at the moment.

--

Chapter 3: The New Problem

Tetra stared up to the roof of the cavern. She felt rather uncomfortable about entering. Only a few torches lit the entrance. None could be seen farther in, although several large slightly charred sticks lay nearby.

_That would explain the other lights I saw earlier…_ She thought, looking back. The two elegant men had just caught up, after taking a moment to talk to the other inhabitants. Tetra suspected it involved them, obviously, but she was paranoid in thinking it could be nothing good. The others probably thought that too…

Tetra shook her head to clear her sudden rush of thoughts to watch their companions pick up sticks and light them on fire.

"This way," The first one said, and side-by-side, they led the way forward into the cavern. Tetra followed, and Link and Gonzo came up behind Tetra.

It was a slow, steady trek through the cavern. It was particularly wet today, and so the ground was slippery. Even their guides had to go on all fours at times, although they were much better at scaling the path then the pirates. Tetra forced herself to keep going, rock after rock after rock after—

"Watch yourself. It drops off to the right," The other guide said. Tetra looked down in the dim light and could only see a bottomless chasm.

_Wonderful…_ She thought as she adjusted her footing even more. One slip and she was doomed.

"There's a wall to your right now. You should hold on to it, just to be safe," She heard. Following the advice, she gripped the wet wall and looked back momentarily, unable to see the entrance anymore. It was even more foreboding in that she couldn't see the exit either. How far did this path even go?

"Alright, the hole is gone, but stay close," One of the guides said. She let go of the wall and followed farther into the darkness. The path seemed to steepen slightly, and she could now tell that they were going upwards.

"Freeze!" She heard, and the entire mood changed. It became dead quiet suddenly, and Tetra had good reason to freeze. If Link said it, then it was most definitely a good idea. However, after a moment, their guides laughed.

"Oh, child, there is no threat inside this cave," One of the guides said as he caught his breath. "Let's go—ah!"

Tetra immediately took out her cutlass, and she heard another cutlass and a sword unsheathe behind her as the enemy showed itself. It was a Keese, and it looked pissed as the guide struggled to wave it away with his torch.

"Wait, don't—crap!" Tetra cried out as he accidentally let go and the torch went flying. Almost instantaneously, dozens of Keese took flight from the ceiling as they were enshrouded in light, and the torch fell to the ground some ways ahead of them.

Tetra immediately swung at a couple trying to attack her, scoring two neat kills. Nearby, she could see Link jumping around and easily taking down several within a short time. Gonzo was having a little trouble due to his side, but their guides were easily having the most trouble. They didn't seem well-trained in combat at all.

"Damn it all…" Tetra muttered to herself as she knocked one Keese away from her and rushed forward to their guides. With a grunt, she jumped up and, using one of their shoulders, propelled herself into the air above them and swung at the cluster of creature, cutting a large swath through them and making them change targets.

Tetra landed, rolling to help break her fall before executed her own spin attack to take out the closest Keese. She back-pedaled slightly, avoided a few as Link ran past her and cut through the cluster himself, letting out a battle cry. She then lunged forward, swinging her own sword ahead of her.

"You two! We have to get out of here!" She yelled to the guides. They looked at her fearfully before reluctantly nodding and running on. Tetra turned to Link and Gonzo.

"C'mon!" She yelled, followed the other two and swinging at the Keese that were keeping up. She continued to climb forward, slipping frequently. And then she saw it! The way out! She would later think about how it was an ironic rush towards the light in the dark, but she couldn't care less at the moment, mainly because she suddenly slipped and fell over the edge of a chasm.

"AHHHH!" She screamed, reaching out for a branch, a rock—anything! Her wish was answered when another hand grabbed hers and she banged against the wall.

"Ow…" She groaned as she rubbed her head and got a sudden feeling of dizziness. Looking up, she saw Link, straining to hold her while the Keese closed in and started to bite Link.

"Link!" She yelled, gripping her cutlass tighter and swinging upwards. Several Keese backed away at that moment, and above her, Link suddenly started pulling backwards. Tetra braced her feet against the slippery wall and used them to help climb up.

In the moment she came up, Tetra saw that Gonzo had helped Link pull her up. She took another swing at the Keese at the same time as Link, and the creatures backed off.

"Thanks," she said, before immediately continuing their hasty run up. Behind them, Tetra could hear the enraged Keese, and she quickened her run.

_Almost there…almost there…_ she told herself as they got closer.

And then, finally, they had made it out. They all slowed down and took a breather against the rocks nearby. Tetra looked forward and saw their guides panting heavily as well, sitting against a rock instead.

"That was a close one…" Gonzo stated, and sure enough, the creatures could be heard just inside, screeching at their failed attempts to kill them.

"Yeah," Tetra smiled a little, looking over to Link.

"How about you, Link—Link!" She cried out, seeing his body had collapsed against a nearby rock. Tetra scurried over and, grabbing Link, rolled him over, wincing at the wound in his side. One of the Keese had probably taken a good bite out of him. His clothes had gotten very tattered as well.

"Don't you go out on me," Tetra warned as Link moaned in pain. Reaching into her bag, she rummaged around before finally finding what she needed. Pulling out a bottle, she carefully uncorked it and, kneeling down, put the cork aside. She gently grabbed Link's jaw and propped it open.

"Drink this," She said, tilting the red liquid into Link's mouth in one fluid motion. She emptied it completely before corking it again and replacing it into her personal bag.

Before her eyes, Link's heavy breathing slowly lessened, and the wound showing through his tunic started to heal. A minute later, Link was completely cured and picking himself up from the ground. Tetra sighed in relief.

"Don't scare me like that," she scolded rather dully, before walking forward to the guides, who were now breathing normally. "Shall we continue?"

"Oh, yes," One of them said, regaining his composure first.

"This way," the other said, before they led them onto a path hugging the side of the cliffs. It was a short walk, and, upon turning a corner, they walked into a large clearing overlooking the foggy seas.

Tetra took a sharp breath. The settlement was larger then she would have thought. There were several wooden houses of considerable size, and around them, kids were chasing each other, playing games, and their parents were working stalls against the houses. Some simply walked around and chatted with each other. But everything got eerily quiet when they were led through the town. Apparently, most of the trade was done down in the port. Or perhaps there was a different reason?

Tetra was led around a corner after a minute of walking and took another sudden intake of breath. In the side of the mountain, a great structure was carved out. It looked like a temple and a castle combined. Tetra didn't see any turrets rising into the sky, but who knew how tall it was inside.

_This must be where that chieftain is…_ Tetra thought as they continued to approach the structure. She noted the guards posted alongside the entrance as they reached the stairs leading up there. A few steps later and the doors began to swing open before them, allowing them passage inside. Tetra, without hesitance, followed inside. Behind her, she heard the doors shutting as they came into the main hall.

The main hall was very extravagant and big. Tetra remembered the hall at Hyrule Castle and noted that while it was a lot smaller, it was in better condition then the lost castle. Alongside the hall lay two stairways, one to each side that led up to another floor. Up higher was the platform they reached, overlooking both ends of the hall, and another, smaller staircase led even higher. As they passed under the overpass, Tetra suddenly wanted to explore the mysteries the castle already gave her.

"Tetra," Link whispered, causing her to look back forward. They were approaching a throne, and in it was a man. He had a beard covering his entire face and looked very tall. He held a pole with a curved blade at the end (Tetra didn't know whether to call it a staff, a spear, or a scepter) and was dressed the same way as their guides were, but his mantle was purple instead of orange. He also wore an elegant headpiece. Tetra suddenly realized that their guides must have been the sons, relatives, or at the very least court ministers of this person.

Ahead of them, their former guides parted before them and stood ahead and to the side of the throne, facing the chieftain.

"Chieftain Zano Zacharia, we present Captain Tetra, and her crewmates Gonzo and Link," one of them said. Tetra smirked; she wasn't called 'captain' that much. 'Miss' suited her fine.

"Thank you, son," the chieftain said. "Captain Tetra, may I ask as to where you hail from?"

"We hail from the Great Sea, an ocean full of islands that is probably not too different from your home," Tetra said.

"Then allow me to welcome you to the Eastern Sea. I apologize for rushing you up here, but we have never had a foreign ship erupt from the fog before," Chieftain Zano responded. Tetra was immediately confused.

"Wait, do you mean that the fog always covers the island?" She asked.

"Oh, no, Captain, you have only caught us on a foggy day," He responded. Tetra looked back at her crew mates to see Link smack his hand against his face and Gonzo scratch his head.

"Well, then can you please explain your statement?" Tetra explained.

"Of course, Captain. You see, the Eastern Sea is very large. However, its borders are marked by an unwavering fog. Explorers have explored the sea, but the fog is considered a bad omen, and that those who attempt to cross it won't make it out." Zano explained, with a calm voice that wavered a lot in expression. Tetra nodded in understanding.

"Chieftain Zano, why are there Keese in your lower cavern?" Link suddenly spoke out. Tetra blushed at his outburst.

"Keese?" He asked.

"Father, allow me to explain," One of the sons moved forward and next to them. "On our journey, we were attacked by bat-like creatures more inclined to attack then the usual harmless bats."

"Yes. The Keese is one of several types of dark monsters. We have only seen them within the presence of evil men, that presence usually encompassing an entire ocean," Tetra continued. The Chieftain leaned back in his throne, now looking especially concerned.

"Then the rumors might be true…" he said.

"Rumors?" Tetra questioned. Zano leaned forward.

"Yes, Captain. Several reports have come in that detail all manner of monsters suddenly appearing and attacking people in certain places. They were all incredibly skeptical, like the fluid-like monsters…"

"Chu chus…" Link stated.

"…and even upright lizards with pig noses!"

"Boboklins." Link explained.

"And there is one rumor that all the way across the map, a mighty fortress has been set up, under the command of an incredibly evil man…" the Chieftain finished. Tetra and Link froze up a little at that, and Gonzo gasped.

"Ganondorf…" Tetra whispered.

"Impossible! He was sealed away!" Link protested.

"Well, he's back!" Tetra responded.

"Father!"

Tetra turned towards the new voice, momentarily seeing Link and Gonzo doing the same as she looked up to the top of the stairways on this side of the overpass.

A boy, about their age, maybe a little older, stood at the top of the stairs. He wore the same clothing as the Chieftain, and held the same staff. He must have been another son of the Chieftain, however, without a proper explanation, Tetra had no clue as to why he was younger and adorned in the same clothing as his father.

"Nicolas, not now. We have other issues to attend to at the moment," Zano said, sighing as Nicolas made his way down the stairway.

"You said we would talk now!" Nicolas argued, reaching the bottom of the stairs and coming up next to the pirates.

"That was before this came up," the Chieftain responded.

"But Father, I am being absolutely clear in this: I do not want to lead the tribe after you," said the youngest son. Tetra suddenly felt very out of place here in between the arguing family members.

"Nicolas, by tribal law, you must lead the tribe—"

"I refuse!"

Zano gave a great sigh at this.

"Nicolas, you don't have a choice in this matter,"

"You're not giving me one!" Nicolas protested.

"ENOUGH!" Zano suddenly yelled, making the whole room jump. Nicolas didn't respond.

"We will talk this over later," The Chieftain declared. Nicolas glared at him for a few moments before turning around and storming back up the stairs.

"I apologize for my son's behavior," Zano said as Tetra looked back. She momentarily saw Link keeping his eyes on Nicolas as he disappeared out of everyone's sight.

"It is alright," Tetra said. "But is there someplace more private we can discuss the matter involving Ganondorf?"

Zano nodded, standing up and heading over to the stairs. "Yes, in my study. Robert and James, you're dismissed. And please talk to your brother."

"With all due respect, Nicolas refuses to listen to our reasoning. We've tried repeatedly, but nothing works." The gruff son responded, taking a step forward. Zano sighed, stopping halfway up the stairs.

"I know, James…"

"Hold on…" Tetra said, looking at Link. He caught her glance and instantly understood the message.

"Can I talk to him?" Link asked. Zano gave another sigh.

"You may try, but I do not believe you will reach him…" Zano sighed again, before leading Tetra and Gonzo up the stairs. Tetra looked back as James approached Link.

"I'll show you to his room."

--

NH3: MWAHAHAHA! I decided to be completely unoriginal with my OC and just use the same one! Except with a different last name and stuff! Much thanks to Scrambled Eggz for reviewing this story. People should go read his story too ^^ (See, this is what you get when you R&R!)


	4. Confession

NH3: Next chapter!

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own the doctor.

--

Chapter 4: Confession

"We're nearly there," James said as he led Link on. They had been walking for a few minutes, climbing several more stairways and walking down a small hallway. Finally, James stopped before a door at the end and to the left. Link took a deep breath; the trip had been exhausting.

"This is his room," James said. "I wish you luck. Nicolas will not be easily swayed."

Link nodded as James walked back the way he came. When James went out of sight, Link almost sighed. He was a curious negotiator, solving the problems of others for what he wanted.

_Well, it works, right?_ Link thought to himself as he raised his hand and knocked.

"Go away!"

_So much for knocking…_ Link thought as he opened the door a creak. He jumped a little when an arrow crossed his sight and impaled into the door frame. The door swung open and Link was shown the revealed figure of Nicolas, brandishing another arrow on his bow across the room.

"I said go away," Nicolas said calmly, taking steady aim.

"Hey, I'm just here to talk," Link responded, holding his hands up and tensing his legs.

"And I suppose you agree with my father." Nicolas glared.

"He has a few good points—hey!" Link yelled as Nicolas let the arrow fly. Link hopped to the side as the arrow flew out the door, drawing his sword and shield as he moved. Link ran forward as his attacker tried to sling another arrow and swung his sword, knocking the bow from Nicolas's grip.

_Good. If he's anything like his brothers, he's now harmless._ Link thought, before his thoughts were interrupted as Nicolas picked up his nearby spear and swung it at Link. Link automatically moved backward, even though he was already out of its reach.

"You probably thought I was anything like my brothers. Those two are nothing like me," Nicolas growled. "Now get out!"

"I'm here to talk about this with you!" Link protested, loosening his grip on the sword and lowering to show his intentions. Nicolas must have not been paying attention, because he immediately lunged forward and swung at Link again. Link lifted his sword up just in time to block the attack before swinging forward through the opening provided. Nicolas parried just in time, pushing Link backwards.

Link didn't hesitant. He threw a stab at Nicolas, which was swung away. Nicolas immediately followed up with a spin attack, which broke several vases behind him. Link jumped over that and swung at Nicolas, closer in. Nicolas blocked, before pushing away and swinging at the same time. Link lifted his sword to the side and blocked it, before swinging his foot out and striking his enemy's hand.

"Ow!" Nicolas yelled out, letting go of his spear in that hand and cradling it close. Link wasted no time in hitting the spear and knocking it away, bringing the sword up to Nicolas's neck.

Both boys panted in the sudden silence that ensued. Link glared at Nicolas. Nicolas looked mostly disappointed in himself. It lasted for a minute or two before Nicolas regained his composure.

"You're good," he admitted without a smile, reaching up and gently pushing the sword blade away from his neck. Link let him, sheathing the sword after. Link was a little confused as to the purpose of the spontaneous duel. He already had several more questions for Nicolas, but as Link watched him pick up the spear, he didn't think he would get anything out of this mysterious boy.

"Leave," Nicolas commanded, shoving the bottom of the spear into the ground. Link noted that it was a little pointed on that end too, but not really harmful.

"I just want to talk about your problem." Link protested calmly, hoping to help a little bit.

"I am unwilling at the moment," Nicolas responded. Link sighed, thinking he would have to return later. This was nothing like the conversation with Komali he had ages ago. Link made a mental note to check on him for Medli next time he could.

"Leave!" Link jumped. He had accidentally dazed off, and with a bashful smile, Link walked out, closing the door behind him. He took in a sigh before beginning his journey back downstairs. About halfway down on his uneventful walk, Link felt a grumble erupt from his stomach and blushed a little, despite the fact that no one else heard. He rushed the rest of the way back downstairs, where Robert was waiting for him.

"How did it go?" he asked. Link sighed and shook his head, letting that action answer for him.

"I see. Maybe he'll be more cooperative later?" Robert suggested. Link shrugged.

"Well, Chieftain Zano has invited you to dinner. Your companions are already there, and they plan to fill you in on what is happening regarding this man…" Robert said, guiding him over to a nearby door to the side. Robert opened it and Link walked inside to what was a private dining room. It wasn't as extravagant as the main hall, but it was still very fancy.

It held a long table, and of course, the Chieftain sat at the end of the table. Next to him on either side was Tetra and Gonzo. All looked like they had just begun to eat. Of course, Gonzo was a little baffled by the utensils, but Tetra had gotten plenty of practice while hiding out in Hyrule Castle. Link walked forward and took the seat next to Tetra, quickly starting to eat. He had used utensils almost all his life, and though there were more, at least he knew how to use individual ones properly.

The food was pretty exotic to him. There was a lot of meat, but greens were not absent from the table. Many sauces lined the table for the meat, and Link was incredibly reluctant to try them for some reason. Maybe because the first one he tried was incredibly spicy?

"So how did it go with my son?" The Chieftain suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Not well…" Link said, wondering if he should tell about Nicolas's sudden duel against him.

"He attacked you, didn't he?" The father sighed, seeing right through Link. "He's done that to his brothers on several occasions."

"Really?" Link asked. Zano nodded.

"Do you have any idea why he doesn't want to lead the tribe?" Link asked, curious.

"None. Nicolas no longer confides his true feelings in me…" Link could immediately see that Chieftain Zano was incredibly torn up over his own son. He half-wished he could've done something. The other half belonged to the wish that Nicolas would talk to him.

"Link…I looked at the reports. I'm absolutely sure of it. It's Ganondorf," Tetra said, changing the subject.

"Then we can't stay here. Ganondorf is probably setting out to capture you," Link said, reluctantly changing up his priorities.

"We already have a plan," Tetra responded. "I will stay here, in hiding with the Chieftain's protection. Gonzo will pilot the pirate ship away from here, and lead any followers on a wild goose chase."

"What about me?" Link asked, though he already knew the answer.

"You'll take your boat out to this…second Forsaken Fortress and confront Ganondorf. Maybe we'll get some information as to what he is after." Tetra said, speaking Link's mind.

"Alright," Link said. When they had started out, Link had taken the King of Red Lions at first, but it was a little problematic, since the tiny ship sailed faster then Tetra's pirate ship. Link also found it incredibly lonely without the King of Red Lion's voice talking to him. So they had decided to lift the tiny boat onto the pirate ship and replace one of the lifeboats with it. To most, it looked like a valuable prize being displayed, but it was still Link's, and it was kept in case something like their current situation.

"I am allowing you to stay with us for the night, so that you'll be well rested for the task," The Chieftain spoke up. Link suddenly got an idea.

"Maybe I can room with Nicolas?" Link suggested.

"I can arrange that. You'll have to watch him though. He'll immediately suspect me for sending you. Don't worry about me, just get to know him." Zano said.

"Okay," Link responded, before turning to finish his dinner.

Later, after they had finished, Chieftain Zano told Link that Nicolas had been notified. Link quickly thanked him and walked upstairs.

Link took another deep breath before walking in. The situation seemed to be immediately hostile. Nicolas was swinging his spear in the room, but Link soon realized that he was merely practicing, and he stopped after noticing Link.

"Hey…" Nicolas said hesitantly.

"Hey…" Link said just as hesitantly. An awkward moment of silence passed between them as Nicolas went and leaned his spear against the wall. Link finally broke the silence.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"No,"

"Please?" Link asked, making a good puppy dog face. _Whatever works…_ he thought.

"…fine…" Nicolas responded reluctantly.

"Um, why are you the heir to your father's seat and not to your two brothers?" Link asked.

"My brothers are both adopted. My mother was originally thought to be sterile, so they chose to adopt a heir…the second one was just the desire for another son…" Nicolas said sadly, facing away from Link and towards the nearby bed.

"So you're by blood," Link prompted.

"Yes…I was actually a lucky accident, or so my father thought at first," Nicolas said, still not facing Link. "My mother died shortly after having me."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Link said, walking towards him. Nicolas didn't turn, and reluctantly, Link placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nicolas?" Link asked gently, looked at his face to see tears leaking down from his eyes.

"It's just not fair. I have to take the responsibility, and stay here. That's the last thing I want," Nicolas sobbed.

"But you're the natural heir." Link soothed, rubbing Nicolas's back a little.

"Yes, but that doesn't really matter. My brothers had the option to take that seat, one after the other. Both could refuse…they're the ones that forced this path onto me…" Nicolas cried out, burying his face into his hands. Link gently guided him to the bed, moving aside a few decorative curtains to avoid tangling the headpiece as he sat down with the crying boy.

"If that's not the path you want, than what do you want?" Link asked.

"I…I want…to travel…" Nicolas stuttered out. Link was a little surprised at this. He wouldn't have thought that someone born of royalty would want to do such a thing. Traveling was hard; Link knew that very well.

"Isn't that task a little hard on yourself?" Link questioned.

"What about you?"

"Touché, but I've been traveling for a long time. I'm more used to it; I make it look easy." Link responded, noting Nicolas's clairvoyance. He seemed to see through people very well.

"I know how hard it is, but taking a freaking look around you!" Nicolas said, taking deep breathes to calm himself. Link took advantage of this respite to look around.

He hadn't gotten a look at it the first time because of his sudden battle, but now he could see that this room did not suit a person of royalty. Tapestries decorated the stone walls, but all of them looked exotic compared to the rest of the castle. And delicately woven into each were pictures of different types of people traveling. Some had fish-like people in them. Others had winged people in them, which Link recognized as the friendly race he had met on Dragon Roost Island. A few had Hylians in them, and one was wearing the green clothes he had donned at the start of his adventures. A couple tables with chairs were in the corners, and one corner was bare. Another door looked like it led to the bathroom.

But Nicolas had made a good point. Nicolas already looked rather knowledgeable about traveling. Link stood up and walked over to the nearest table, which had a detailed map of the Eastern Sea. It had been divided into a seven by seven grid, though some squares had more then one island in it. Link picked it up.

"Can I have this?" Link asked.

"Sure. I have another, and apparently, it's of no worth to me…" Nicolas growled, crossing his arms. He had definitely stopped crying. Link pocketed it rather shamefully as Nicolas stood and walked to a bare patch of wall. He pushed in on it, and it popped open, revealing a window disguised on the inside and the outside.

"It has gotten late. We should go to bed," Nicolas said, looking at the stars. Link nodded.

"Do you have a cot to sleep on?" Link asked.

"Uh huh…" Nicolas responded as he walked to the bed. Kneeling down, he reached under and pulled out what looked like a very comfortable cot.

"Thank you," Link said, immediately lying down.

"You don't have clothes to change into or anything?" Nicolas suddenly asked. Link shook his head.

"I can't exactly bring a spare set of clothes when I travel," Link explained. Link heard the shifting of fabric and looked over to see Nicolas lying down in his bed with his robe and headpiece on.

"Don't you want to change?" Link asked.

"I'm gonna try something new…" Nicolas responded, grabbing a nearby fan. He flung it down, sending a gust of wind to the torches by the doors and putting them out. He then did the same for the torches near the window.

"Good night Link!" Nicolas chirped.

"Good night, Nicolas." Link responded, before being left with his thoughts in the dark. Something had been nagging at him about Ganondorf, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it…

--

NH3: It's a little bit shorter then the last chapter, but I am rather satisfied with this chapter. And yes, those are Zoras in the tapestry. Reviews are greatly respected and reviewers are more likely to have me review their story.


	5. The Legend of the Fourth Triforce

NH3: Just started my new job recently, so I might be a little slower with new chapters .

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own God, life, Lego or Buckinghamshire.

--

Chapter 5: The Legend of the Fourth Triforce.

Link's eyes snapped open from his slumber. They always did: traveling did that to you. It was useful for avoiding monster attacks while sleeping. However, the sound that had awoken him was more of a gurgling in the walls then the mistake of a monster. It took him a moment to remember where he was.

Link looked over to the nearby bed, which was empty. The sheets and blankets were all twisted around each other and tossed aside. Did Nicolas have a nightmare? Or was he simply uncomfortable?

His attention jerked over to the nearby door. Behind it, he could hear water falling to the floor and realized that the gurgling was piping in the walls.

_How interesting…_ Link thought, standing up and stretching as he yawned. He rubbed his eyes as he shook away the immediate sleepiness from him. Afterwards, he looked around and noticed something rather odd. The bed lay in a corner, and two tables took up two corners respectively. But the last corner remained bare, across from the bed. Link quietly walked over and examined the corner.

There was nothing immediately seen, but Link hadn't noticed the hidden window either. Link felt so sure that something lay hidden there, and with hesitant hands, he pushed on the walls that met the corner. They both pressed in a little, and Link released his hands to let the doors finish opening. Oddly enough, the bounced back a little, but then immediately swung inward. A torch hung on the wall inside, and Link grabbed it as he crept in. Link didn't see anything at first, but then he shone the torch on the walls and received a little bit of a shock.

The walls nearest to the door were covered in weapons. Link saw all kinds of weapons, from swords to bows and arrow, even war axes! Did Nicolas train himself in all of these weapons? If he did, he was a lot more ready for the outside world then Link thought.

Link suddenly paled. Didn't the gurgling stop a little bit ago? Sure enough, all sound had disappeared, and with worry, Link ran back to the nearby entrance of the secret passage. But it was too late; Nicolas already stood in front of the entrance, in a new outfit identical to the one he wore the previous day. And he was holding his spear!

_I'm screwed…_ Link thought as he slid to a stop in front of Nicolas. A moment of silence passed between them before Nicolas walked forward.

"Follow me," he said, brushing past Link. Link's eyes followed to see him grab what looked like a Grappling Hook, and so he followed, curious as to Nicolas's purposes.

Nicolas led Link farther into the passage, which gave no clue as to going up or down. But after a bit, Link felt a breeze in the air. The flames on the torch in his hand fluttered in response as well.

"Where are we going?" Link finally asked.

"I want to show you something." Nicolas responded, turning a corner in the darkness just barely ahead of him. Link followed and almost ran into Nicolas, who had stopped. He leaned his spear and the rope against the wall and, reaching his hands out, made contact with a wall. Link saw him push, and, slowly but surely, the hidden door moved to the side, revealing the outside. Nicolas reclaimed his supplies and walked outside. Link followed, leaving the torch against the wall as it blew out.

They had come out onto a grassy ledge on the side of the cliffs. It was very sunny today, and pretty windy. Several columns of rock that the ship had passed the day before reached to his height, however, they were out of Link's jumping distance.

"This is practically my secret spot…" Nicolas suddenly spoke up. "No one else knows about it. I come here to be alone."

Link looked back over to him. He had planted the tail end of the spear into the ground and hung the rope on the blade. Either the rope was very strong or the blade was dull.

"Why did you show me this?" Link asked.

"Because…you feel like my first friend…" Nicolas hesitantly said as he sat on the ground.

"You don't have any friends?" Link questioned.

"None. I'm a bit of an outcast because of this headpiece. The tribal laws forbid me from being seen without it," Nicolas said sadly. Link found that horrible, being alone because of law and the cryptic opinions of everyone.

"That's awful…" Link said, sitting down next to his new friend.

"Link…I know you have to set out today and defeat Ganondorf…" Nicolas said. Link paled. Could he really abandon Nicolas to this fate?

"…but I don't want you to worry about me like that. In this world, everyone I ever need always ends up leaving me. You're no different…but don't leave with any regrets…" Nicolas continued, looking at Link with a nervous smile. Link sighed.

"If I could, I would take you with me," Link said. Nicolas smiled a little more before standing up.

"Thank you…but I have something else to show you, and this way is, ironically, quicker," Nicolas said, grabbing the Grappling Hook and spear. He tossed the rope to Link, who quickly caught it and coiled it perfectly.

"I see you've used one before. That's good," Nicolas said, walking back towards the cave. Link watched as he turned back around, holding his spear above his head with the blade facing forward. Link backed up a little out of the way.

In one burst of energy, Nicolas suddenly ran incredibly fast towards the edge of the cliff. Link barely had time to gasp. But there was no need: Nicolas suddenly stuck the blade into the ground right before the cliff and jumped up. The momentum and flexibility of the spear sent him flying into the air with the spear in his hand. He gracefully landed on the closest rock column and turned. Link's mouth dropped in amazement.

"Now toss the Grappling Hook over and hook it onto my spear!" Nicolas called out, holding it horizontally in front of him. Link shook the amazement off and swung the rope around, before tossing it over to neatly coil around the spear. Not letting himself give a thought as to Nicolas's ability to hold him, Link swung down to the rock columns side, neatly, and quickly pulled himself up.

Link came up to the ledge and pulled himself over to solid ground. Nicolas undid the Hook from his spear.

"We'll have to do that a couple more times, so hurry up!" Nicolas said. Link nodded and after a bit, they had gotten to the third column, quickly pulling off the stunts with ease. At the third, Link looked around, noting the absence of other columns, but their close proximity to the main island.

"What now?" Link asked.

"We're trying to get over there," Nicolas said, pointing. Link peered over the edge and saw a small, carved entrance with two torches on the platform before it, just above the water below them. The port was nowhere in sight.

"C'mon!" Nicolas said with confidence, and before Link knew it, he had grabbed the Grappling Hook, attached it to the edge, and was rappelling down. Link froze, a little stunned, before coming back to his senses and following after Nicolas down the rope.

Near the bottom, Nicolas stopped, and Link stopped above him. They were both just above the water.

"Follow me!" Nicolas said, and let go, surprising Link as he suddenly ran across the water's surface with his spear in hand. Nicolas made a final skip to the stone entrance and turned back. With a hesitant gulp, Link let go—and instantly fell into the water. Link surfaced and simply swam over to the platform.

"Sorry about that, I use magic for that," Nicolas apologized, pulling Link up. Link looked at the carved entrance and noticed a familiar symbol.

"Hey, that looks kind of like the Triforce…" Link pointed out. But it was different: the three pieces of the complete Triforce weren't white, but rather gray with white outlines. And the upside-down triangle in the center was highlighted instead, and in gold instead of white stone.

"It is, but this shrine is actually a secret one paying tribute to an unknown part of the legend." Nicolas said, leading him inside. Link followed into a lit room.

The room was mostly bland, except for a few jars. A great, white mural lay in the back of the room, with the accompanying pedestal against it in the center. Link recognized it a little from when he was getting Triforce charts. But the designs were different, despite the Hylian scripture.

"You most likely know about the legend of the Hero of Time, since you're dressed like him and all. Maybe your island of birth had a tradition involving your coming-of-age?" Nicolas guessed. Link couldn't believe how right he was. Nicolas turned to the murals and began pointed to respective images as he talked.

"So, of course you have your three Triforce pieces—Power, Wisdom, and Courage. However, the Three Goddesses feared that all the pieces would fall into evil hands, and so they created another piece to it, unable to be wielded by evil hands. The Keeper of this Fourth Triforce is to be judged by the Goddesses when his or her time comes. This piece has power beyond the original three and it is said that it can instantly bring the other Keepers together or tear them apart," Nicolas said as Link watched him point to pictures depicting this legend.

"It has never been actually wielded by a person, even though many have tried. In the old days of Hyrule, when Ganon finally had the world under his control, the Fourth Triforce was spirited away by the 'hands' of the Goddesses to another land," Nicolas said. "This is that land."

Link's eyes widened. This explained everything! Now they had a reason for Ganondorf's activities. He was searching for a new weapon for himself, to conquer the world without his enemies anywhere nearby to stop him. But fate brought Link to his attention. Now he had to stop him.

Nicolas turned to Link. "Link…if you have to go searching for that Triforce, you must be careful. It has enough power to ravage the land until it becomes barren. One mistake and it could reign out of control. It must not fall into Ganondorf's hands."

Link nodded. He understood perfectly.

"I wish I could help you more, but I can't. I have to return you to my home for breakfast now," Nicolas said, walking back to the entrance and not sparing a glance to Link. Link followed him back outside.

"Let's go!" Nicolas called out, and he sprinted on the water to the rope, climbing up it as Link swam over. They easily reached the top, keeping mostly quiet as they scaled the columns back to the secret passage for Nicolas's room. The only sound that rung out was the waves, the wind, and the shuffle of feet as they finally made it back to the passage. Nicolas quickly guided Link in before closing up the exit, and in the dark (the torch had blown out) they made their way back to the little armory within the passage. As they walked into Nicolas's room, Link was about to ask him about the weapons, but Nicolas beat him to it.

"Yes, I have trained in all of them; however, they are mainly there in case more than one person needs to escape the castle from my room," Nicolas said as he stood aside to let Link through. Once he was out, Nicolas pulled the doors closed and looked at a clock on one of the tables.

"We're a little late. Let's go," Nicolas said, walking out of the door and into the hallway. Link followed, and together, they went all the way downstairs, through the empty throne room, and into the dining room.

When they walked in, Link noted that Gonzo was not present. He had most likely left already. However, Robert and James were present for this serving of food, which was made up of all the traditional breakfast foods. Chieftain Zano and Tetra were in their usual places, and Link sat next to Tetra. Nicolas sat next to Link.

"Pardon me for saying so, brother, but you're late," James chirped.

"I know. I needed some persuading to come." Nicolas responded a little coldly, placing some toast on his plate and covering them with butter. Link was somewhat surprised, but he kept it hidden. The most obvious excuse would be that he had made Nicolas late. But it looked like Nicolas had thought ahead.

An awkward silence fell over the table before Tetra spoke up.

"Gonzo has left already. I told him to leave your ship in the port," she said as she finished her egg and thus her plate. She stood up.

"I'm going to go read up on this sea in the library. If I find anything useful, I'll contact you through the Gossip Stone—err, sorry, the Pirate's Charm…" Tetra stuttered at the end before heading out. Link quickly rushed after her, catching her just outside by the arm.

"What?" Tetra snapped.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He saw Tetra sigh as she pulled her arm away.

"Zelda's line of thought keeps running alongside mine. I think and sometimes even say this she would if I lived her life…and yet, I practically have lived her life. She is me…but it feels incredibly weird…" Tetra said cryptically.

"Just calm down. You're still Tetra to me," Link said. A flutter flew through his heart. He wasn't too sure about his true feelings for Tetra, but he was a friend first and foremost, even if that might someday change…

Tetra sighed. "Thank you…and good luck…" she said, before turning away and walking off upstairs. Link watched her go, unsure of when he would see her again.

Sighing, Link began to walk back into the dining room, but Nicolas suddenly walked through when he opened it. Nicolas walked to the foot of the stairs and stopped. The door closed next to Link as he watched.

"Link…good luck on your adventure. Maybe we will meet again," Nicolas whispered. However, before he turned back towards the stairs, he clearly winked at Link, a puzzling message that occupied Link's thoughts as he walked back into the dining room

--

NH3: Alright, another chapter done. This took all day! Stupid obligations…

And for those who are just curious, see if you can figure out Nicolas's two theme songs. Here are the hints: they are both by bands whose names start with 'S' and Nicolas said part of the lyric of one of them, back around when Nicolas told Link he had no friends. It's a little bit after that. I will reveal the songs in the next chapter.


	6. Runaway

NH3: Alright, no random disclaimer this time, just a quick announcement: this story's name had been changed from "The Fourth Triforce" to "The Current Caller." Read this chapter to understand the logical change. Plus, the previous title was incredibly cryptic, and thus it was keeping readers away (thanks for filling me in on that, i-wish-a7x).

Nicolas's theme songs are at the end of this chapter. R&R!

--

Chapter 6: Runaway

"I trust that you are ready to go?" Chieftain Zano asked. After breakfast, the dining room's occupants had moved into the throne room, and a servant had been called from the kitchens to provide Link food and water for the long journey to the Second Forsaken Fortress, as they were calling it.

Link nodded in response, glad that he had the little bag that could shrink everything down. He gave the straps underneath his outer shirt a firm pull to make sure the sword and shield would hold against his back.

"Alright then, Link. Go with our blessing. Our prayers are with you," Zano said. Standing up from his throne and personally mentioning Link out of the main door. Link walked over and, with a final wave to Zano and his adopted children, went through the door, smiling as the sun hit his face and the wind caressed his hair.

_A perfect day for sailing,_ Link thought to himself as he began to walk through the town. The attention of the townsfolk didn't waver to him at all, and Link found this normal; they had been stared at coming in because they were being led by the Chieftain's children. Who wouldn't notice that?

Also, probably because of the perfect sailing day, traders were in the streets from temporary stalls, and the townsfolk were trading extensively. Link really fit in today with the merchants and foreign sellers. He was almost tempted to buy something good for himself, like a special food, or a useful item.

_Does Nicolas ever feel like this?_ It was so sudden, but the thought instantly crashed through his mind. Link frowned a little as he thought about it. Nicolas never got to go out and have fun, not just because of his important status, but because of his lack of friends. He practically spent his life alone. Link couldn't imagine such an existence like that. He had traveled the Great Sea alone, but that didn't really count. At the time, he had the company of the King of Red Lions, and every well-populated island had a friend Link would look forward to seeing. But Nicolas stayed in place, unable to move. It seemed so impossible to Link as he emerged from the town and started to make his way to the cave.

The sunny day allowed the light to travel far into the cave. And beyond the light, Link could see the beams of sunlight poking through little holes in the cavern ceiling. It was a safe day to travel through the cave, as evidenced by the workers walking through in the transfer of goods from ship to stall and vice verse. Without hesitance, Link walked into the cave, following the paved trail back the way he had came. It came incredibly close to the edges of chasms, and while some had wooden railings to make sure no one fell, some had broken over time. It probably hadn't been a problem until Tetra fell off one in their scurry to light.

Link shuddered a little. At the moment she began to fall the day before, Link was plagued with an incredible sense of desperation as he reached out for her hand. It was so sudden and unexplainable at the time, but now that Link could think about it, he had found what feeling it was: loneliness. It came as an oddity to Link that he couldn't live without her alive anymore. How close had they gotten during their adventures?

Link's thoughts were pulled away as he finally reached the end of the surprisingly bland cavern. The port had come to life despite the absence of the pirate ship. Everywhere, sailors were pulling their ships to tie them down, workers were unloading packages, and stalls were also being set up down here. Link spotted his ship nearby, in a smaller set of docks for ships as small as his. A couple ships that were the same size were also docked, but neither one was as decorated as the King of Red Lions. And of course, they had never talked.

The boy ran down the stairs leading to these docks and eagerly hopped aboard the ship, opening the tiny cargo hold. Gonzo had, thankfully, thought of everything. His Grappling Hook lay curled next to his bag of bombs, and his sail had been neatly folded above them. His boomerang had been tucked into the corner, and it seemed to curl around his bow and the quiver of arrows he owned. The Hookshot was missing, and Link was pretty sure other things would be missing as he thought of them. But all in all, he was well equipped for whatever battle might lie ahead, and he was thankful.

Link ran a quick checklist through his head and decided that he was ready. With a contented sigh, he pulled out the new map Nicolas had let him keep.

With the letters on the side and the numbers on top of the seven-by-seven grid, Link was at F2 on the map, in the southwestern corner. The Second Forsaken Fortress was marked in neat scripture at A7, all the way in the northeastern corner. It was a northeastern course, and with a quick glance at the compass, Link could tell that the wind was heading in an eastern direction. The wind needed to be changed a little. Fortunately, that's why he was known as the Hero of Winds.

Link reached into his bag and pulled out the Wind Waker. He always kept it on him, not trusting himself to leave it somewhere. It was the same for the Phantom Hourglass; however, that magical artifact was pretty much useless. Link kept it as a 'just-in-case' object.

Raising his hands, he let the proper movements flow through his head, and as the tempo made itself clear, Link waved the Wind Waker up, then twirled it to the left and swung it to the right. He waved it once more to the northeast, and a brand new wind flew by his features, his cap waving in the air as the wind shifted directions. After a minute of letting the wind fix itself, Link nodded in satisfaction. It was time to head out.

Link grabbed the sail and began to slide it onto the pole that came out from the cargo hold as well, telescopic as it rose. In fifteen seconds, the sail was up and the lifeless King of Red Lions was sailing out of port. Link caught sight of several children running along the docks, waving to him as the watched the boat with glee. He waved back, smiling as he began to turn through the rocky columns and head out of the port's sight. He turned through them and saw a familiar sight: the shrine Nicolas had shown him before. But it was now sealed up, blocked by a great stone door. Link was a little curious of that as he passed by.

But that could wait for another day. The urgency of his task still rung in his head, and he smoothly navigated through the columns, his objective being the wide open Eastern Sea. The prospect of new places to be explored thrilled him.

"Link."

The person-in-question jumped in surprise. He quickly took down the sail and stopped, looking around in the odd bay as he searched for the voice.

"Link! Do you not remember my voice?" It said. It took Link another moment to recognize the voice, and he slowly turned his head back to the bow. The lion's head turned to face him as well, a wise look in his eyes.

"King!" Link cried out as he fell backwards into the boat, surprised. The King of Red Lions laughed.

"It's just like when we first met. Do you not remember that moment?" He said.

"But—but how—you…" Link stuttered as he propped himself up on his arms.

"I know. I had remained in Hyrule the last time we defeated Ganondorf. However, as you most likely know, Ganondorf has returned, and he is most likely working to conquer the Eastern Sea as we speak," The boat said.

"But King, I thought you were responsible for protecting the Great Sea from Ganondorf," Link said, standing up.

"I am, but you must realize that Ganondorf will not stop at the Eastern Sea. Once the Eastern Sea falls to darkness, so will the world," The King of Red Lions said.

"Let's go," Link said after a moment of silence. There was definitely not a moment to lose. However, as he reached for the sail, things changed yet again.

Suddenly, a red blur fell from the sky and into the boat, shaking it incredibly as Link pulled out his sword. However, his attacker also had a weapon. Link's first swing was instantly blocked, and he felt the sword instantly twisted out of his hand. For the moment it flew above them, Link thought that he was dead for sure. The only thing that kept him from jumping overboard was that the figure turned and plucked the sword out of the air, his red robe occupying most of his vision. And suddenly, his own sword was being held at his throat, and he was staring into the face of his attacker.

It was Nicolas. And he was smiling a little.

"I'm coming."

It wasn't a request, but more of a command. Link wasn't a big fan of following commands, but was actually considering this command. It wasn't the sword at his throat; Nicolas wouldn't kill his first friend. But Nicolas's predicament was not a desirable one at all. But there was also the matter as to how Nicolas would help. Link was unsure of his abilities, and he feared that they would be slowed down too much.

"And who are you?" King asked, immediately hostile. Nicolas turned back towards the bow, lowering the sword.

"You can talk?" He asked.

"Yes, I can. Now answer the question,"

"My name is Nicolas. I'm practically a prince here."

"Link, we don't have time for this. We don't want to have a runaway with us. If we got caught, the entire world would be doomed." The King immediately said.

"No! If we got caught, I could say I forced you to take me away," Nicolas protested, stomping his spear for emphasis.

"We can't waste time! Link, use the Command Melody!" The King called out. Link instantly whipped out the baton and swung it right, center, left, center, before closing his eyes. But he was met with only darkness. The spell wasn't working! He hesitantly opened his eyes to see Nicolas scratching his head. The King of Red Lions sighed behind him.

"Apologies, Link. I forgot that the Command Melody only works under the jurisdiction of the Tower Of The Gods. We are out of range, and so that spell is useless…" he said. "The only abilities you can currently use are the Wind's Requiem, and the Song of Passing. The Ballad of Gales cannot be risked until we know where we can go in this sea."

"Is that…the Wind Waker?" Nicolas asked hesitantly, pointing at the baton in Link's hand. He nodded.

"I've read about it. It has a counterpart someone in this sea, called the Current Caller. You'll need it to reach the Second Forsaken Fortress," he said.

"Why?" The King of Red Lions asked.

"The Eastern Sea is under the influence of the wind. However, it is not controlled by it. This sea is governed by the currents. Think about it; Dagger Cliffs is a major trading port, yet it is on the corner of the map," Nicolas said. Link could instantly see the logic in that.

The King of Red Lions sighed.

"Link, as much as I disapprove, we need a guide to successfully travel this sea. I believe Nicolas should come with us," he said. "But he needs to change clothes. He stands out too much." Link and Nicolas nodded in response

"There is a series of islands a couple squares northeast called the Watermill Archipelago. The main island is home to a merchant town. We can find a disguise there," Nicolas suggested as Link proceeded to set up the sail.

"Alright," Link responded as the sail instantly caught the wind and started moving the ship. Link quickly sat on the edge and steered the rudder through the columns of rock before coming out on the open sea.

As they sailed away from Dagger Cliffs, Link examined Nicolas's face. It didn't seem to show any remorse for leaving. His eyes were instead, filled with wonder as they began to sail the open sea.

_What did I get myself into this time?_ Link thought. He was a little surprised at the unlikely thought. But he would have been surprised if he had been told that Nicolas was going to stow away…

--

NH3: Alright, now for the theme songs. Nicolas's theme songs are "My World" by Sick Puppies and "Second Chance" by Shinedown. The lyric is from "My World" and was said in this sentence from the last chapter (lyric in bold):

"…but I don't want you to worry about me like that. In this world, **everyone I ever need always ends up leaving me**. You're no different…but don't leave with any regrets…"

Good songs. I definitely recommend them. Once again, R&R.


	7. Transformation

NH3: I think I'll add "Pushing Me Away" by Linkin Park to Nicolas's list of theme songs. Next chapter!

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own Apple or Microsoft (I'm almost there though, lol!).

--

Chapter 7: Transformation

"So…" Link said hesitantly. They had been sailing for a while now, maybe half-an-hour, but it had been in complete silence. No one had been willing to break it, so Link would have to do.

"So…" Nicolas repeated, a little hesitant as he sat against the side of the boat, by the mast.

"How old are you?" Link decided to ask. Nicolas was a little taller then him, so he had guessed about seventeen, maybe eighteen…

"Fifteen," Nicolas responded. Link was mildly surprised: he was fourteen himself, but Nicolas did not look a year older then him. He looked older.

"I know, I look like I'm older. I had to mature up a lot because of my impending leadership role," Nicolas explained quickly. "It sucked."

"I bet. I mean, my parents died out at sea when I was very young, so my sister and I had to be mature so that our grandma could raise us. But that's a little mild compared to you," Link said. Nicolas nodded, but he looked eager to change the subject. Link wasn't very comfortable with it himself.

"Okay…um…how did you come into possession of the Wind Waker?" Nicolas asked. The head of the boat turned towards them.

"I gave it to him, back on our first adventure," King told him. "It's a rather epic story, that adventure. Maybe he would like to tell you about it?" He suggested, and Nicolas looked at Link with pleading eyes.

"It wasn't really anything…" Link said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Nonsense. You are being modest," The boat responded.

"Alright, alright," Link smiled, giving in easily. "So, this whole story began on my thirteenth birthday, on an island called Outset, where I was born…"

It went on for a while like that, as Link recounted the epic tale about his adventures. And Nicolas was full of questions. Each on gave Link a good outline of his personality:

"So these fairies are something like miniature people with wings?" Curious.

"You went inside Hyrule Castle, frozen in time?" A little skeptical.

"Oh, so you previously met the sages!" A good understanding.

"I don't know if I could defeat Gohma…" Unsure of himself.

"So you're the wielder of the Triforce of Courage?" At this point in the story, Link gulped, wondering if he should've told Nicolas about that. But Nicolas only smiled, like he understood, and beckoned him to continue. So he continued, finally finishing with Ganondorf turning to stone at the hand of his blade—

Link's eyes widened. That was something they had forgotten completely, and breaking off the story, he turned to the King of Red Lions.

"King, we forgot about the Master Sword!" Link cried out. "Ganondorf could've hid it anywhere!"

"Have faith, Link. If it comes to that, we'll find it." The boat responded, although Link could certainly detect doubt in his voice. Link unsheathed his current sword.

The sword was somewhat like his very first sword, but it was a lot fancier and decorated with engravings. It was useful, sure, but nothing compared to the Blade of Evil's Bane. Link hoped it would be enough, and that Ganondorf hadn't gained enough power to repeal normal blades.

Link felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back to see Nicolas, smiling.

"Don't worry. It'll all end okay." He said, patting the shoulder before retreating back to his spot. Link did the same, going back to steer the rudder a little when he noticed a nearby island ahead of them.

"Look, we're halfway to Watermill Archipelago!" Link called out, pointing with his free hand. The King of Red Lions and Nicolas looked over.

The island was completely flat on the top. Link pulled out his map and saw that it didn't have any particular shape. He began to read the name.

"Plateau Island!" Nicolas called out before Link could speak. He looked over and found no chart in his hands though.

"Have you memorized the entire map?" Link asked skeptically.

"Almost," Nicolas responded, looking at the island. "A shame that we can't land, but there doesn't seem to be much there anyway…"

"Don't count on it," Link said. "You wouldn't believe what I've found on such plain islands. Remember the Chuchus I told you about?"

"Oh, yeah! You said that island was full of them in a secret chamber!" Nicolas responded gleefully. "Maybe we'll come back someday."

"Probably!" Link smiled back as they began to turn around the island. A silence encompassed them as they passed by, and soon it was nothing but open seas again. Link yawned: the heat was making him a little sleepy.

"Hey, Nicolas, do you think you know how to steer this thing?" He asked. Nicolas nodded.

"I need a nap, can you steer us to Watermill?" Link muttered, his eyelids beginning to droop.

"No problem, Link," Nicolas chirped as they switched places. Link immediately lay down and closed his eyes, letting the waves, the wind, the sail, the boat's little creaks as he went to sleep.

"Link!" He heard inside the darkness. But he couldn't open his own eyes! What was going on?

"Link! Help me!" It was Nicolas. Link whipped around and saw Ganondorf holding him up by the wrist. Nicolas was struggling in his headpiece and robe, trying to make Ganondorf let go. And his spear was nowhere to be found! He drew his sword and swung, but was flung back, and then he was falling, falling, falling…

A thousand tiny needles burrowed into his skin as the freezing water stunned him. He finally recovered after a few moments and began to swim for the surface. But where was the surface. He felt blind, with no sense of direction. Was he swimming down or up?

And finally, a glorious breath of air shot through his mouth and into his body, revitalizing him. He rested for a moment, treading water.

"AHHHHHHH!" Nicolas yelled. Link looked up and saw Ganondorf dangling Nicolas above him, his hand glowing an evil black as it held his victims wrist. Nicolas's arm was tensing up in pain as he screamed, and before Link realized it, Ganondorf had dropped him too. Nicolas fell into the water unconscious, and Link rushed to save his friend. He dove and brought Nicolas back to the surface, trying to swim him to shore as his breathing got shallower and shallower…

"Link," Link awoke, crying out in surprise. It was still dark, and Nicolas had quickly gripped his shoulder to calm him down a little.

"Link, we've arrived," he said as Link shook off the rush he had gotten during his dream.

"Why is it so dark?" Link asked.

"We're in a small cave at the end of the archipelago. It was King's idea, actually. I still stand out a lot, you know…" Nicolas explained as Link's eyes adjusted. Link silently agreed with Nicolas. The headpiece and robe just didn't blend in at all.

After a few more moments, Link saw the nearby ground and hopped from the boat to it.

"Alright, I'm going to get you some clothes to travel in. What's your favorite color?" Link asked. His own favorite color was green, which was good, since he wore that same color now.

"Blue," Nicolas responded, and Link made his way to the entrance in the cave. Upon emergence, he nearly fell into the water below. The path turned left here. Link sighed in relief and walked up the path to the top of this small island before looking out at the other islands.

The main island was currently the one farthest away, and it was definitely a merchant's town, somewhat similar to Windfall Island in the Great Sea. The obvious differences were that the windmill was replaced by several watermills on the main island's sides, and the architecture, which Link wasn't very interested in. All the islands were connected by bridges, thankfully.

Link quickly rushed to town across the bridges, wondering if he could find a clothes store. He soon reached the main island and looked around. It started out with several small docks, and then stalls would line the center road. And higher up through a town gate were stores that were inside buildings, and maybe some other buildings for whatever was needed. Not everyone was a traveler or merchant.

Link walked by a few stalls, knowing he would find travel clothes in them and not the fancier stores. He soon stopped at one with a few clothes hanging behind the counter. A gruff, friendly man walked into sight.

"How may I help you, young man?"

"I'm looking for some travel clothes for a friend." Link responded. The man smiled.

"Is he about your size?" He asked.

"Slightly taller, but mostly yes," Link explained.

"Well, I wish I could give him an outfit like yours, but I've never seen your design. But I do think I have an outfit," The gruff man disappeared behind some racks. Link shifted his weight a little as he waited.

After a few moments, the man wobbled back into sight with a bundle of clothes in his hand. He held up a tunic with spikes at the bottom. It was red.

"Do you have that in blue?" Link remembered.

"I believe I do, just let me—wait! Thief!" He suddenly yelled out, pointing behind Link. Link whirled around to see a thin, scrawny man grabbing another piece of clothing before beginning to run off. Link immediately ran off after him, following him through the town gates.

_This guy is fast…_ Link thought as he continued to give chase. He was keeping up, but he needed to change tactics.

As they were brushing the left edges of the street, Link saw the thief pass some stairs. Thinking fast, Link rushed up the stairs in a blur and ran after him above him. Link was now gaining, mainly because the thief thought he got away and slowed down a little. With a glance, he saw the end of the wooden path he ran on and rushed to it before jumping off, down, and straight onto the man.

They tumbled to the ground, Link rolling off a little as he drew his sword and stood, immediately jumping towards the man.

"Don't move!" Link shouted, holding the sword to the man's chest. The thief froze, and suddenly, three armored guards rushed upon the scene. Link lowered his sword as they stepped forward and cuffed the man, who dropped the bundle of clothes.

"I won't forget this, boy!" He snarled as he was taken away. Link mostly ignored him as he picked up the clothes and was applauded by a few nearby townsfolk. He smiled at them and waved as he began to walk back to the stall.

When he arrived with the stolen clothes, the man was so happy that Link thought he might've been given a hug if a counter didn't separate them. He quickly returned them and the man disappeared into the back, leaving Link to wait again.

When the man returned, he held a new bundle of clothes and smiled. "Kid, for helping us bring that bandit to justice and returning me these clothes, I'll give these to you for free. You're always welcome in Watermill Archipelago."

"Thank you so much!" Link smiled as he began to walk off.

"Think nothing of it!" The man called out after him as he began to walk back across the first bridges. Several bridges later, he found himself walking the path into the secret cave and finally into it.

"Nicolas?" Link called out into the cavern. It was incredibly darker then he remembered, despite the entrance a few feet away. It put Link on edge, and made him a little twitchy.

"I'm over here..." he whispered nearby, and right after, a light appeared between them—a makeshift torch that Nicolas had apparently made from driftwood in the cave. Link walked forward to the boy in his tribal clothing.

"I have the clothes for you," Link said, holding them out. Nicolas quickly took the bundle, shifting possession of the burning torch to Link as well. Link gently planted its bottom end into the ground so they didn't have to hold it. When he turned around, Nicolas was gone, apparently into the darkness. Link heard the sound of clothes shifting around and brushing against each other before it stopped.

"Are you done?" he asked. An outline appeared in the darkness and Link had to squint a little as Nicolas stepped out.

Nicolas's appearance had changed so much, he was practically unrecognizable. With the tribal clothes, all Link would see was his face and his hands. Now, he wore a blue, spiked tunic and a brown belt with a yellow, diamond-shaped buckle. His tights were unchanged, but his feet were now enshrouded in brown boots.

It was the hair that really caught Link off guard though. He never actually thought about the hair under the headpiece...just the headpiece covering it. But Nicolas had long, brown hair, messier than Link's, but still relatively good-looking.

Nicolas stood in front of Link patiently, leaning his spear against his shoulder and holding some rock contraption from a rope.

"How is it?" Nicolas asked, unsure.

"You are unrecognizable!" Link exclaimed. Nicolas smiled and chuckled. Link suddenly grabbed his arm and led him outside.

"W-wait!" Nicolas cried out, but Link ignored him as they stepped into the sunlight. Nicolas covered his eyes and slowly unblocked them as the breeze ruffled his loose features for the first time. He looked out at the ocean, and Link could've sworn he saw a spark light in his companion's eyes.

"How do you feel, Nicolas?" Link asked.

"...Free." Nicolas answered after a little bit. He turned to Link. "And from now on, call me 'Nico.'"

It might have been perceived as another way to avoid being recognized, but Link saw more in that sentence. He really was a different person. From Nicolas to Nico. Simplified, yet transformed. Just like him...

--

NH3: I like this chapter quite a bit. Plus I've got a bonus for readers. I have pictures of my characters, but the album link is on my profile page, since for some reason, the site won't take it in the chapters. .


	8. Charts and Clues

NH3: I've been rather busy the last few days, what with work and family and such. So here is the next chapter.

--

Chapter 8: Charts and Clues

"So how do we get past the currents probably blocking our way?" The King of Red Lions asked. After Nicolas had changed, Link had sailed them over to the docks of the island. Link and Nicolas had gotten out and were conversing with the boat.

"We need the Current Caller, but its location is unknown. I wasn't even completely sure of what it looked like until I saw the Wind Waker. All the texts I've read on it agreed they looked alike, save for the color," Nicolas responded, crossing his arms.

"What color is it?" Link asked.

"Black," Nicolas said.

"Do you have any ideas on how to find it?" The King of Red Lions asked.

"The artifact is said to follow the currents. The currents part ways into other currents, though. We don't want to traverse them without a Current Chart."

"A Current Chart?" Link asked.

"It's basically a chart of the sea, but it's been spelled to show the current—uh, currents," Nicolas tripped over himself a little. "The only islands I can be sure of that are in the current's paths are Dagger Cliffs, Plateau Island, and Watermill Archipelago, since we sailed past them. Dagger Cliffs does not have the Current Caller, though. I know that already." Nicolas explained.

"Thank you, Nico." The boat said. Nicolas winced slightly.

"Actually, just call me Nico in any high risk scenario, like if we're about to get caught or under attack. Nicolas is fine for everything else," he responded. Link sighed in relief internally. He had made the mistake of calling Nicolas just 'Nicolas' instead of 'Nico' several times already.

"Alright then, Nicolas," the boat said, turning to Link. "Link, I believe Nicolas has given us some good advice. This town should have a Current Chart for sell somewhere."

"Agreed." Link said, beginning to walk off.

"Hold on," Nicolas said. Link turned to him.

"This island is one of the few that always has a current running through it. And look around us. There is a whole merchant town. I think that's worth a look around for the Current Caller, or at least some clues. What better place to hide it then where people least expect it?" Nicolas told him.

"We'll search the archipelago when we get the Current Chart," Link nodded, before turning around and walking the length of the dock, quickly stepping on land. He heard Nicolas hit the ground behind him.

Link scanned the town again. "I'm pretty sure the stalls won't have a Current Chart in them."

"But if someone else has found the Current Caller, they might not realize its true significance. They might think it's just a toy…" Nicolas responded, frowning a little as he scanned all the stalls. Link silently agreed.

"Well, let's get started then…" Link responded, walking forward to the first of the stalls, Nicolas beside him. The first series of stalls were rather run down, without roofs. No luck, course, Link had a feeling Nicolas was expecting that. He didn't seem all that eager to be looking in those stalls

The next several stalls had roofs, but didn't really extend into the street. Neither boy saw either one of their goals.

The final stalls held extensions to hold merchandise. Link got an idea and immediately went to the stall where he got Nicolas's clothes.

"Ah, hello there, my friend," The shopkeeper said happily. "I see you've already put those clothes to good use."

Link smiled at Nicolas, who did a quick glance-over at his outfit. He looked back up and saw a red version of his outfit before smiling bashfully and blushing.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually," Link said. "But first, may I ask your name?"

"Anything for you. The name's Jimmy," He smiled.

"I'm Link,"

"Good to meet you,"

"Likewise,"

"So what do you need help with?" Jimmy asked.

"I need to find a Current Chart. Do you know where I can find one?" Link asked, trying to pull it off as sweetly as possible. Nicolas chuckled next to him.

"Relax," Nicolas and Jimmy said at the same time. The looked at each other and laughed a little before Jimmy spoke.

"That would be in Dusty Miller's shop. He owns a small building, right up the stairs that I heard you jumped off," he said. "Call him Mr. Miller though. He hates being called Dusty."

"Thank you," Link said, beginning to walk off.

"There's something else," Nicolas said, stopping Link in his tracks. Link turned around and saw him holding a white baton in his hand.

_The Wind Waker! How did he—what the—ugh…_ Link thought as Jimmy glanced it over.

"Have you ever seen something like this before?" Nicolas asked, oblivious to Link or simply ignoring him.

"Not since my childhood. Those baton toys were popular many years back, enjoying great success until the merchants who created them crashed onto Picturesque Island, about two squares northeast of here," Jimmy said, making both Link and Nicolas's eyes widen.

"Are there any on this island?" Nicolas quickly asked.

"Yes. One of the rich nobles on this island is a collector of old toys and gimmicks and such. I don't think he would give you one of a particular color though." He responded. Nicolas's eyes narrowed in determination.

"What's his name?"

"Lance Fenway. He lives two doors down from Mr. Miller's shop." Jimmy quickly said, sensing the urgency.

"Thank you, sir!" Nicolas called out as he began to jog away, grabbing Link's hand as he did. Link was mildly surprised when his arm was nearly pulled out of his socket, but he ran anyway, jerking his hand from Nicolas's when he matched speeds with him. Which was incredibly odd: Nicolas still looked like he was jogging. Link was sprinting to keep up.

_He's fast…_ Link thought as they ran. He suddenly saw the stairs ahead of them.

"Up there!" He called out, pointing. They reached the stairs and Nicolas easily traversed them. Link trailed behind a little and was glad for the breather when he caught up with Nicolas a little past the top.

"Is that the store?" Nicolas asked, pointing to a store with a big, painted scroll over it.

"Looks like it," Link breathed out as they began to walk towards it. The name on the nearby post confirmed it and they walked inside.

The entire store was composed of shelves, with plenty of charts and scrolls on them, neatly copied and organized. The highest shelves seemed rather dusty, which Link found slightly ironic due to the owner's name. But everywhere else was reasonably clean. The floors were made of stone, and the roof was wooden. To the right, stairs led upstairs, probably to another section of the store. Link turned left instead and walked up to a counter with a man behind it.

"You must be the one who caught the thief. Word travels around fast, and I am incredibly appreciative. That thief has stolen several things from me in the past," The man named Dusty Millers responded.

"Um, thanks," Link said, smiling a little nervously.

"Do you sell Current Charts?" Nicolas said, getting straight to the point for Link.

"I do, would you two like to buy one?" Mr. Millers responded. Both of them nodded as the man reached down beneath the counter.

"They're 100 Rupees each," He said. Link almost protested, but shut his mouth. He had bought Treasure Charts for a lot more then that.

"We'll take two." Nicolas said, laying a fat, orange rupee on the table for his map. Link did the same.

"Here you go! Happy sailing!" Mr. Millers called out as they walked out. They began to slowly walk to the house two doors down.

"I've been meaning to ask, but do you have any idea why this sea and my sea have the same currency?" Link asked. Nicolas shook his head no.

"So what's the plan?" Link asked a little tentatively as they passed the first house's front door.

"We get in and examine the collection of batons. We're looking for a black one that is somehow emitting magic," Nicolas said as they walked up to the front door of the house. It looked pretty bland on the outside, blending in with the other buildings, but Link was pretty sure the inside was incredibly fancy.

Nicolas gave a few, sharp knocks and waited. After a few moments, a tall, somewhat athletic man opened the door.

"Yes?"

"My name is Nicolas, and this is Link. We heard that you have a collection of toy batons—like this one, in fact," Nicolas said, holding up the Wind Waker. Link made a mental note to get it back once they were done, but his thought was little interrupted when the man's face perked up.

"Oh, are you selling it? Oh, well do come in! Where are my manners? I am Lance Fenway. How are you today?" In the time it took him to quickly say these sentences, Link and Nicolas had been pulled in and dragged into a room full of shelves holding many things. One had some interesting disks with strings attached on it. Another one, larger then the last, held sticks and hoops. Link's attention was averted to the centerpiece display upon a center podium.

The display held what looked like more Wind Wakers, but all of them were different colors. There were even a few shades of white, and Link could only hope that Nicolas held on to the real thing tight. There were no black models.

"I'm not here to sell, sir," He heard Nicolas say a little impatiently. A moment of silence as Link searched the display again, just to be sure.

"Y-you aren't…? Get out, then!" He suddenly yelled. Link looked up to see Nicolas hold up his spear. It was actually retractable, since Link didn't see it in Nicolas's hands the whole time. He didn't have anymore time to think about it though, since a sword collided with the spear. Nicolas blocked and rolled away, grabbing Link's hand as he attempted to draw his own sword.

"C'mon!" Nicolas cried out as they ran back to the front door and out of it. They didn't waste time by dawdling around to deal with the man's probable accusations; they ran straight to the docks, where the King of Red Lions watched them come.

"Welcome back. I assume things went well?" he asked, slightly doubtful as both boys caught their breaths in front of him. Link nodded wearily, smiling a little.

"We got the charts." He confirmed.

"Good. Any luck with the Current Caller's location?" The King of Red Lions asked.

"Plenty. Apparently, there was a whole series of baton toys that looked exactly like the Wind Waker…" Nicolas paused to catch a final breath.

"Can I have it back, by the way?" Link asked, holding out his hand.

"Uh, yeah, sorry," Nicolas said, placing the artifact in Link's hands. Link was pleased to note it was the real thing and that nothing had gotten switched.

"We investigated a collection of them here—almost got killed when the man realized we weren't selling ours. But there weren't any black ones…" Link spoke up. Nicolas sighed.

"Back to square one…" he said, rubbing his eyes a little.

"Maybe not, actually. A collector should have black batons like that, but he doesn't. Why wouldn't the maker include that color?" The King of Red Lions asked.

"Maybe he doesn't like black…" Link suggested, feeling a little dumb.

"Then why was every other color of the rainbow there?" Nicolas asked. "If I had the Current Caller, and I could make replicas…" Nicolas's eyes widened a little as he realized what he just said. Link figured it out too, and the King of Red Lions gave a wise smile.

"Of course! The person had the Current Caller, and he made replicas of it for a profit!" Link said in astonishment.

"And to avoid making a true copy that was indistinguishable from the other, a black replica was never made!" Nicolas continued, smiling with Link.

"So where is the maker?" The King of Red Lions asked.

"Um…well, I…" Nicolas stuttered

"Oh…um…" Link followed. A couple of moments passed before Nicolas lifted his head.

"Wait, Jimmy said their boat crashed on Picturesque Island, ending the production of these models!" He said.

"That shall be our next destination then," The boat said, turning itself a little. "Climb aboard."

Link easily jumped on, but looked back and saw Nicolas looking at his new chart.

"Looks like Ganondorf did think of the currents. Look," Nicolas said, turning the chart around. Link saw that the currents were represented by moving spells that looked like water. And in the location of the Second Forsaken Fortress, the currents just went straight out and away from it.

"Let's go. His power increases every second!" Link said, and Nicolas jumped aboard, almost losing his balance as he did. Link quickly pulled up the sail and the wind and currents instantly took them off to the northeast.

--

NH3: I took an interesting way to this new artifact. R&R, you all know how much I love those ^^


	9. The Fairy Crown

NH3: Alright, first off, many thanks to Scrambled Eggz for drawing the cave scene from the end of Chapter 7. Despite not actually looking up the drawing guide, he did a pretty good job with it. It's got a raggedy edge that looks pretty cool. So just so you guys know, I have two pictures drawn that I need to scan and digitize, so maybe I'll get to them sometime…

--

Chapter 9: The Fairy Crown

"Wow…" Nicolas said, a little sarcastic as Link curved around the last island in the archipelago. Link took a casual glance at him and saw him looking at his new Current Chart.

"What is it?"

"A lucky break. The currents split just past Picturesque Island," Nicolas responded, before holding up a compass, silver in color. "You're heading west. Turn 45 degrees left."

Link quickly complied. It didn't really bug him that Nicolas was giving him commands; he had been planning to look at his own compass in a few moments anyway. After doing so, he decided to let the wind and currents do their work, taking his hands off the steering rod.

"Hey, how did you get the Wind Waker out of my pocket back there?" He asked. Nicolas looked up.

"I, uh, pick-pocketed you…sorry…" He said awkwardly, looking rather ashamed.

"Not exactly a princely habit," Link teased a little.

"Hey! That's not my fault," Nicolas laughed, grinning. It was strange; Link didn't remember ever seeing him grin. "When we were all younger, my brothers constantly stole my things. Nothing too serious, just the little stuff I needed. So I developed the habit to get them back and would prank them with it, asking for my stuff back and making them panic when they couldn't find it."

"Nice," Link commented. "Anything else I should know?"

"I got fast because I had to run whenever my brothers found out what I did to them. Which happened a lot," Nicolas added. Link laughed, and he was reasonably sure that the King of Red Lions cracked a smile at that, even though he couldn't see his face.

"So what about you? Has Aryll ever done anything like that to you?" Nicolas asked back after Link stopped laughing.

"Well, no, actually. I was more frequently pranking her in our spare time. She got me good a few times though. One time, she rigged our front door to dump a bucket of water on whoever left the house. She took a huge risk of possibly getting Grandma, but of course, she got me. Was not expecting that…" Link said a little sheepishly. Nicolas laughed in response.

"Maybe I'll get to meet her, and your grandma, and all the other people you met on your journeys," Nicolas said, sighing a little. Link thought he looked like he was imagining what that would be like. So he left it at that, letting his companion daydream as they sailed. He had another thing to occupy his mind anyway.

Link looked to the horizon. They had gotten a lot done on their first day, but the sun was almost in position to set. Link had no idea what they could expect at night. In the Great Sea, sharks and octoroks reigned during the night. There could be a lot worse in this sea, so Link was more prone to resting out the night on the next island. In a burst of curiosity, Link pulled out his Eastern Sea map and looked at the name of the next island. His eyes widened and he smiled at the sight.

"Conch Island…" He muttered to himself. It seemed like a simple name, but that wasn't the reason he was happy.

The island was shaped like a heart.

The only islands that were shaped like hearts were Fairy Fountains. The name fit too: the entrances were all shaped like seashells. Link momentarily wondered if Nicolas had ever seen a fairy before. He decided to ask.

"Hey Nicolas, have you ever seen a fairy before?"

"What's a fairy?" Nicolas responded. Link, for once, couldn't believe his ears. Nicolas, of all people, a prince with access to many luxuries and the holder of so much knowledge, didn't even know what a fairy was. Link quickly wondered why those experiences weren't a part of his stories before remembering that while magical, they weren't exciting to tell.

"You'll see. The next island is a Fairy Fountain, and we're camping there tonight." Link said. That sure made Nicolas perk up. Now he looked ahead of them towards the silhouette in the distance, which was definitely looking like a Fairy Fountain. Beyond that, the sun was beginning to set.

"Do you have any particular reason for camping out the night? Other then simply the fairies, I mean," Nicolas asked.

"Yeah. The seas can be very dangerous at night, especially for a small boat like this," Link patiently said. Nicolas nodded and looked back ahead, his eyes gazing in wonder as they continued to approach the island.

A little while later, the sun was halfway set and the island was in plain sight ahead. Nicolas seemed jittery in excitement and impatiently waited for them to hit land.

Link laughed internally and proceeded to let down the sail a little, just to avoid crashing onto the small shore. He kept doing this until the sail came all the way down and they were cruising the last few yards to shore. Link watched as Nicolas eagerly jumped overboard and into the water, which was about waist-deep now, and climbed ashore, looking up at the huge conch shell that was the island's feature. Link quickly piloted the boat against the shore, slightly beaching it to keep it there before jumping overboard and walking up to Nicolas's side.

"Of course, Fairy Fountains are almost always blocked…" Link said as he looked over to the entrance. A large rock blocked the way, and Link found it suitable to use his bombs. He quickly ran back to the boat.

"What are you doing?" Nicolas asked after seeing him and the rock.

"Grabbing some bombs," Link responded, pulling out his bag. He carried it over and sat it on the ground, pulling out one, which automatically lit its own fuse.

"I wouldn't hold on to that thing." Nicolas said warily. Link rolled his eyes and tossed it over to the base of the rock. It's not like it could kill him while he was perfectly healthy, although that pain wasn't desirable…

BOOM!

The sound jolted Link out of his thoughts as the rock blew apart ahead of them. The smoke quickly cleared to show the hole in the ground. The two boys quietly walked up to it, peering down.

"I can't see a thing down there…" Nicolas said.

"It's down there alright," Link responded.

"How do we get down?" Nicolas asked.

"Jump," Link stated, and before Nicolas could protest, Link pushed him inside and he could hear his scream echo. Link jumped in after his companion, biting his lip to avoid screaming. He didn't like this part that much either, trusting that magic would slow him down at the end…

And before he knew it, he was slowing down and his feet touched the ground. He stood up, a little shaky.

"Don't ever do that again…" Nicolas said nearby. He probably meant to say it with more force, but was too busy examining the magical surroundings. The entire cave was white and purple, looking a little spongy everywhere. It disappeared into darkness above them, and ahead of them, a pool of water glittered, a single fairy fluttering about above it. Link stepped off of the pad and behind him; a column of light appeared, showing him the way out. Link heard Nicolas step forward with him as they approached.

"Is that a fairy?" He asked.

"It's actually a Great Fairy…" Link responded as they started to climb the few step up to the pool.

"That's a great fairy?" Nicolas asked.

All of a sudden, a loud poof was heard, and the fairy was engulfed in a bluish smoke before the Great Fairy spun out from it and floated above them. She laughed mirthfully before beginning to speak.

"Young waker of the winds…your heroic deeds have been told far and wide. I wish to reveal to you a piece of your future soon to come," She said, catching Link off guard. Then again, he didn't know what else fairies could give him before now.

"Um, okay…" Link said awkwardly, and before he knew it, he was floating above the ground. The fairy glided forward, placing her hands around his head, not actually touching it as four hands held there place around them.

"Clear your mind…relax your body…embrace everything…" She said melodically, Link following her command, almost unwillingly, his body automatically doing as told.

The few moments afterward seemed to blur up in his mind. It was like he had been suddenly surprised, and had tightened up. But he hadn't seen anything. Did it work?

The Great Fairy backed up a little, and Link floated back to the ground, still in wonder about what just happened.

"Your future is one of great rush and worry. Your greatest enemy shall soon be time, and you'll have to carry great responsibility to defeat it," she said. Link felt slightly puzzled at this message. Wasn't his enemy technically already time? Or was there more to that meaning? And what would his new responsibility be?

"Do you wish for your future soon to come to be told?" He heard the fairy ask, and Link turned to see that she now floated in front of Nicolas. After a moment, Nicolas nodded and began to float up in the air. Link saw the Great Fairy's hands take up strategic positions across from each other and around his head.

"Clear your mind…relax your body…embrace everything…" She said melodically, and Link watched Nicolas comply. All of a sudden, his eyes widened, and his arms and legs seemed to tense, as if they were trying to reach the ground. A few moments passed, and Nicolas finally relaxed, being lowered to the ground. The Great Fairy backed up.

"Your future is one of despair. Your mind shall soon be tested to its very limits, and you'll have to face frightening realities beyond reality. Do not give up hope. It is your only hope…" She said rather gravely. Link was surprised. He had been expecting Nicolas's prophecy to be similar to his. But what did it mean? Was this how he felt about being a future chieftain?

"I'm sorry that I cannot bring you good news, young prince," She said to Nicolas, who wore an incredibly sad face. "I do have a gift for you, though, and I hope it'll help."

Gracefully, the Great Fairy lifted two of her hands and put the other two together in front of her. She opened them after a moment, but what Link expected to be a flower was not a flower, but rather a normal looking fairy. It flew forward towards Nicolas, who stared at it, a little wary. Trailing magical sparkles, it flew in an arc over his head, and the sparkles floated down into his hair, momentarily shining before disappearing.

"This symbolic gift is called a Fairy Crown. Every fairy from now on will perform the same act to you when healing you. They will remain with you, healing further wounds of you and your companions for some time. You will need it…" She said, before suddenly glowing into a brilliant flash of light, shrinking into nothing. No laugh was heard, and the normal fairies began to fly outward from where she was.

"That was interesting…" Link said. Nicolas said nothing, but simply sighed.

"I'm gonna get caught, and be brought back to my forced role…" he groaned. Link walked over and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Enjoy what you can right now, and don't think about tomorrow..." Link said gently. Nicolas nodded.

"I guess you're right…"

"That was a pretty good gift you got right there. Not even I have that one. It must be really rare…" Link said, smiling.

"Oh, it can't be that good…" Nicolas smiled back.

"As if!" Link yelled, playfully pushing him into the path of a fairy. The fairy immediately flew over him in an arc above his head, leaving sparkles to land on his head. If he was wounded, it would have healed him too. Nicolas seemed to blush a little, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as it happened. Link grinned as Nicolas turned back to him, the fairy still fluttering about him.

"Well, um…yeah…let's get back up top…" He said, walking back towards the column of light.

"Yeah, hold on…" Link said, before taking out a bottle. He quickly snatched a fairy in it and closed it, putting it away and taking out another, doing the same before stopping. Nicolas looked at him a little oddly.

"For later," Link explained, walking back the way they came. "Shall we?" He asked.

"Sure." Nicolas shrugged, stepping into the light. He began to float up, and then whizzed into the darkness. Link stepped in and followed, feeling the wind ruffle his features as he quickly reached the top and landed outside, right next to the hole. Nicolas stood nearby, now without a fairy, looking out at the darkened sea. Above, the moon had begun to rise, and the stars shone brightly. The water glittered prettily, and Nicolas's eyes seemed to reflect the sight. Link walked over to him.

"We have a long day ahead of us. We should try to get some sleep…" Link said as he walked past to the King of Red Lions, which turned its head as Link reached into the cargo hold and pulled out two blankets before walking back to Nicolas.

"Here…" he said, holding out the blanket to Nicolas, who took it. Link walked a few steps away and lay it down on the ground before laying on it and pulling the rest of it over him, making a sleeping bag of sorts. Link looked up to his relative position and saw Nicolas beginning to do the same, apparently having no qualms with doing such a thing. Link had thought he would, since he was a prince and all. But he was more prepared to do this then Link thought.

"Good night, Nicolas," Link called out.

"Good night, Link. Don't let the bed bugs bite," He responded. "Good night, King."

"Good night, Nicolas. Good night Link," The boat called back.

"Good night, King…" Link finished, before curling up in his blanket and closing his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

--

NH3: Guess this is a little bit of a filler chapter, but whatever. It contributes to the plot, which is good enough for me. R&R! Reviews do make my day.


	10. The Current's Canticle

NH3: Things run slow when you have a job. I really need a netbook or something…anyway, here's the tenth chapter, R&R!!!!!!

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Chapter 10: The Current's Canticle

Link stirred slowly. He actually hadn't slept on ground with just a blanket for some time. After all, a pirate ship was a little more accommodating then the ground…

He opened his eyes. Blue skies greeted his sight, and he squinted a little as he propped himself up on his arms. Looking to his side, his sight was greeted with an empty blanket, laid out on the ground nearby. He finally remembered where he was and who was with him.

_Where's Nicolas?_ Link thought as he yawned.

"Oh, good, you're up," he heard. His head snapped around to his other side to see Nicolas farther down the beach. He looked rather weary, but still somewhat eager. Before him, a small fire had been lit on stacked driftwood and a couple of decently-sized fish had been planted on sticks, propped in the ground, and cooking before the fire.

Link stood up, shaky from his sleep as he stretched himself out a little.

"Breakfast is almost ready." Nicolas said before turning back to the fire. Link walked over, hazily thinking that Nicolas had some serious skills for a prince.

"I guess we can leave right after we eat," Nicolas continued. It occurred to Link that he was being rather quiet.

"Okay," he said, and a little bit of tension seemed to drop from Nicolas's shoulders. Link wondered if it was something to do with the morning or if he was really comforted by his own voice. He decided to forget about it.

"How did you get the fish?" Link murmured, sitting down.

"With my spear," Nicolas responded, looking a little proud of himself as he spun one of the fish with another stick.

"Cool," Link acknowledged, yawning again. A few minutes passed by, Link slowly waking up despite the ensuing silence that was only broken by the soothing white noise of the waves and wind. Finally, Nicolas picked up the fish by their sticks.

"Here you go," he said, holding one out to Link. He carefully took it and began to chew into it, picking the meat off of the bones with his teeth and such. Nearby, he could hear Nicolas doing the same.

The fish was a type of salmon, which was Link's favorite type of fish. It had been cooked just right, and Link had to admit, he was beginning to enjoy Nicolas's presence more and more.

It was a few more minutes before Link finished. Nicolas finished just a little after him, wiping his mouth on his arm.

"That was good. It's nothing like palace food, but better, somehow…" he commented, staring at the fish bones discarded onto the sand.

"It's because you cooked it yourself. You're probably satisfied with your work," Link explained. He didn't think Nicolas would have a good understanding of satisfaction; he wasn't exactly happy about his 'future chieftain' situation.

Nicolas nodded before standing up, Link following.

"I guess we're ready to go then…" Link said.

"Yep," Nicolas confirmed. They both began to walk towards the boat, which waited nearby. The tide was low, so about half of it was on dry land. When it went up, it would wash away the fire Nicolas had left behind. They couldn't wait that long for the boat though, so Link and Nicolas gripped the sides together.

"Go!" Link said, before they both pushed as one, easily bringing the boat back into the water.

"Sleep well, King?" Nicolas asked as he held the boat steady, allowing Link to climb in.

"Boats do not have eyelids to make them sleep," He replied gruffly.

"Most boats don't, you mean," Link said as he balanced himself to allow Nicolas in. "Most boats can't talk either."

The King of Red Lion looked back and smiled a little before Link began to hoist the sail. The wind began to tug on it as it came up, and behind him, Nicolas steered the boat away from the island. In one great movement, Link pulled the sail to its full length and the boat began to soar forward on the waves. Link quickly went back to his place of pilot and Nicolas moved aside to pull out his maps and examine them as they sailed.

"Given the circumstances," Nicolas suddenly said after a little bit, making Link jump a little. "I wouldn't normally think of Picturesque Island as a likely location of the Current Caller. Only once in all the different currents does it have a current running through it."

"Do all the squares on the Eastern Sea have a current run through them at one time or another?" Link asked curiously.

"No. About six of them never have a current running through them…" he responded. It got quiet again, before the King of Red Lion's turned his head towards them.

"Link, I've been wondering about what you said about the Master Sword. I worry about the Sages of Earth and Wind…" he said reluctantly. Link paled.

_No…not Medli and Makar!_ He thought, freezing up for a moment.

"While I do not believe Ganondorf has done anything beyond hiding it, it would be a good idea to check up on them after we encounter Ganondorf," he finished, which calmed Link down. But he still feared for his friends, and so an unnatural silence fell over the traveling group for a long time. It wasn't until Nicolas was shaking his shoulder when Link snapped out of it.

"Link, we're almost there," he finally heard and he looked ahead.

Picturesque Island was indeed…picturesque. It was almost like a secluded paradise on the ocean, about the size of Outset, with a freshwater river originating somewhere in the palm tree woods up higher. The lower portion led up to them, but was more wide-spaced and friendly. It was also uninhabited, and Link brought down the sail to cruise in.

"Pretty…" Nicolas complimented as the boat moved towards shore. "Good place for a vacation."

Link smiled as the boat gently bumped the shore and Nicolas climbed out and waded onto land. Link followed after quickly packing up several items into his bag from the cargo hold. They might need them to regain the Current Caller.

"Where do you think the crashed ship would be?" Nicolas asked. No crashed ship lay in sight, of course.

"I don't know. Let's go exploring," Link said, beginning to follow the river up to the palm woods ahead.

"Interesting…" Nicolas muttered behind him.

"What is it?" Link asked, climbing up a small ledge.

"The water follows the landscape. There are no signs of long-term erosion…" Nicolas said, following suit. Link looked, and indeed, Nicolas was right. The river was recent. Of course, by recent, they were talking about decades, but that only furthered Link's adventurous spirit.

"C'mon. Let's see where it comes from!" Link said, climbing up a ledge before walking into the palm tree woods.

They padded into the dull woods, following the river's erratic turns between the trees. Link kept his ears sharp, and soon enough, he began to hear a familiar slimy sound.

"Chuchus!" Link yelled, turning to the left, and sure enough, a pair of them sprouted from the ground, red in color. Link drew his sword and heard a telescopic sound, which could only be Nicolas's spear.

"We're surrounded!" Nicolas yelled, and Link felt his back against his own as Nicolas faced some unseen enemy.

"Attack on three. Three!" Link yelled, lunging forward and swinging his sword at the nearest Chuchu, which flew back elastically, disappearing in a puff of smoke. The other took the chance and started to jump towards Link. Link ducked and swung his sword upwards, hitting the creature as it jumped over him. The creature landed, only to disappear in smoke, defeated.

Link whirled around to see Nicolas swinging his spear at a couple of Boboklins, which jumped backwards and then forwards, attempting to catch Nicolas unprotected. Nicolas flipped backwards, twirling his spear in midair and throwing it point-first at the nearest one, impaling it in the head and causing it to go up in smoke. The other made a sound of realization and attempted to grab the spear sticking out of the ground. It was met with Nicolas's boot as he kicked the monster while jumping. Nicolas grabbed his spear to avoid going any farther and pulled it out of the ground. The Boboklin rushed him, but Nicolas simply swung his spear, knocking it over and making the final enemy disappear too.

Silence encompassed the woods again, broken only by the slight panting of the two boys.

"Their presence can't be good…" Link finally said, before beginning to jog along the stream, his sword and shield out. He heard Nicolas behind him, probably keeping his spear out as well.

"Do you think Ganondorf's servants have the Current Caller yet?" Nicolas asked as they ran.

"I don't think so. I think they're still searching for the artifact," Link called back as he ran. He saw a brightly lit clearing up ahead and ran towards it, the river seeming to erupt from it.

He emerged into the clearing and found himself at the top of the island. A pool of water held ripples coming from the center, and further ahead, he saw a cliff. However, it wasn't the thing that had captured his attention the most.

Across the pool, on the other side, a memorial-like rock stood, with familiar Hyrulean markings on it. Nicolas came into the clearing a moment later, rustling leaves as he did, and came up alongside Link.

"We should check that out," He simply said, walking around the pool, Link following. When they reached the rock, Link examined closely and found a resemblance to other rocks and walls with markings. Those rocks held the Wind Waker compositions, and he believed this one did too.

Link pulled out the Wind Waker and glanced at the markings. The order was left, right, up, left, right, center. However, Link learned long ago to reverse left and right, since the carver would watch the performance and transcribe it. So when he began to conduct the piece, he waved it right, left, up, right, left, center. He waited for some god's explanation of the song, but none seemed to come. He was about to put the Wind Waker away in confusion when a voice rung out in the clearing, making both boys jump.

"Young waker of the winds," It said, the echo making it unclear as to gender. "This song, called the Current's Canticle, is one unique to the power of the Current Caller, much like the Wind's Requiem, the Earth God's Lyric, and the Wind God's Aria is to the Wind Waker. It cannot be conducted on the Wind Waker with any effect. Only a caller of the currents can use it…"

Link and Nicolas remained speechless, mainly because they felt any question would be left unanswered anyway. Finally, Nicolas broke the awkward silence.

"We have to get the Current Caller in order to control the currents with the Current's Canticle…" Nicolas said, almost tripping over himself with the repeated use of the word 'current.'

"But wasn't there supposed to be a wrecked ship on this island?" Link asked, looking over the edge of the cliff. He didn't see any wreckage, but he noticed something unusual about the cliffs. The rocks in it were all different colors in different places, with no attempt to blend in. In fact, it looked like a bunch of rocks had collapsed.

Suddenly, Link had the answer.

"It's under us…the ship crashed and drifted into a cave, which, sometime later, collapsed!" Link realized. Nicolas looked over to the pool of water nearby, ripples emerging from the center.

"And I think I know how to get there," Nicolas said determinedly, sliding into the waist-deep pool. Link thought he looked like he was feeling around with his feet when he suddenly fell forward into the water, disappearing from sight.

"Nico!" Link yelled, hoping for an answer. A moment passed and Nicolas came back up, soaking wet from head to toe.

"Sorry…I tripped…" he said. Link smacked his hand against his face.

"I feel a wide opening though, wide enough for us to fit through…" Nicolas said, wearing an inquisitive look that could probably make someone reveal several of their secrets. "You coming?"

"Yeah," Link said, sliding into the pool and wading towards Nicolas. "We should go one at a time. If something goes wrong, we don't want one blocking the other if air is required…"

"I'll go first," Nicolas said. "Wait thirty seconds before coming down. Do not hesitate to come back up and try again."

"Alright," Link said, watching Nicolas suddenly slide down into the water from an upright position and disappear from sight. Link began to count.

At about twenty seconds, a couple of huge bubbles riveted the mostly serene surface of the pool. Link thought Nicolas was coming back up after running out of air, but his head didn't show. Link anxiously waited out the next ten seconds before finally wading to the center and finding the hole. With one final breath, he puffed up his cheeks and sank himself down.

All he saw at first was blue, but then his head lowered down into the hole and his sight was obscured by grey rock. Link pushed himself down along the sides gently, to conserve as much air as possible in his body. He kept pushing, paining his lungs to go farther. How deep could this possibly go?

And then, all of a sudden, he was falling. He yelled in surprise as ground rushed up to him, but then he slowed, and his feet gently landed on the ground as he caught his breath.

"What happened?" He asked out loud.

"See for yourself," Nicolas said from ahead of him. He was looking at the space around Link, so he turned around and backed up.

It was obvious that magic was at work here. A stream came from behind him now, but curved around a perfectly neat platform, ending on either side of the landing spot, where a column of light now glowed brightly. The streams then rose into columns of water and rose up to an upside-down pool, which seemed to drain in the center.

"Amazing," Link said, before turning around. "Now where are we?"

The question seemed kind of useless as he saw the cavern. It was one, giant wreckage, being the product of several shattered ships. It looked like a definite dungeon though. A door lay ahead of them, leading into the first parts of this odd place.

Then again, when Link considered the dungeons he had encountered in woods, reefs, volcanoes, forests, towers, and underground, this was just another classic addition to the list…

--

NH3: I think this chapter is pretty sick. I must say, I completed this on the same day as the last chapter, but since I had four hard days of lifeguard duty ahead of me, I decided to wait a couple of days. R&R!

And to those who may question the whole reversed right and left thing, I made it like that because in the video game, Link looked right at the markings, but then you faced him and played the right and left notes backwards, relative to his position and the markings he faced, without realizing it. So I gave an explanation for that.

To those who are curious, the Current's Canticle was actually composed with the Wind Waker in game, so if you're playing it, switch to 6/4 time and play left, right, up, left, right, and center to hear the tune. Enjoy, and once again, R&R.


	11. The Sunken Ship Cavern

NH3: I began this chapter on August 21 since the recent storms along the eastern coast gave me part of the day off. So here is the next chapter.

And I just recently found out that me and my sister's names are on the 2009 hurricane list. Nicolas's is also on it, but it's spelled with the 'h.'

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Chapter 11: Sunken-Ship Cavern

"I wouldn't bother getting dry, Nicolas," Link said as Nicolas began to squeeze water out of his shirt.

"Me neither, but I'm wearing this shirt…it's annoying…" he responded, before he began to take his shirt off. Link stared at him oddly as he did, still wondering why Nicolas was bothering. Nicolas caught the stare.

"What? It's not like that shirt provides any decent protection," he said a little defensively, tossing the shirt onto the platform by the column of light. Quickly running his fingers through his hair, he turned towards Link.

"You can't tell me that's comfortable," He continued, mentioning towards Link's soaked shirt and undershirt. Link silently agreed. In fact, after another moment's thought, he didn't see much wrong with it. Their outfits consisted of their tunics and shirts, but their legs were covered with tights and boots more suitable for water. When those got wet, it didn't feel as bad. In fact, neither boy thought about it…

With a sigh, both of relief and annoyance, he pulled off his own shirt and undershirt, tossing them next to Nicolas's. The colors looked oddly matched, being blue and green, but no one who would think of it was there.

"Ready to go inside?" Nicolas asked, strapping a belt to his chest. Link hadn't seen it before, but he had a feeling it held onto Nicolas's spear on his back.

"Yeah," Link said, doing the same for his sword and shield and fastening his green cap. Their bare bodies seemed to contrast each other as they walked towards the entrance. Link was athletic and well-built, but not so that it was really noticeable. Nicolas was more slender, and while just as thin, wasn't as well-built. Link's skin tone was also slightly darker from constant exposure to the sun.

The entrance laid out before them was incredibly fancy. Link thought that this might have once been a door for a captain's quarters. Now it was the entrance to a dungeon. Nicolas reached there first and pulled on the door, letting Link in before following.

The first room they walked into was very spaced out. It looked like the decks of several ships had been fused into a box-like shape. Ahead, and to either side, a door sat in the center of the wall. The door ahead was locked. The ceiling was one giant mirror, and in the center of that, what looked like a sealed opening. Link began to cautiously walk towards the door on the left, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Too easy. Something's not right…" Nicolas said, pulling Link back. "Try firing arrows on the floor."

Link was confused as to Nicolas's suspicions, but pulled out his bow and quiver, drawing an arrow and aiming at the floor. He let loose, and as the arrow impacted with the ground, a wooden claw trap snapped up from the ground, trying to grab thin air but snapping together instead.

"How did you know?"

"The mirror on the ceiling. You can see the circular step-switches that activate the traps and where the traps come out of," Nicolas said. Link looked up, and sure enough, there were markings standing out in the mirror, but not on the actually floor. It might have had something to do with their angle of sight, but they had to be very careful in this room.

"Follow me," Nicolas said, and, looking up at the mirror, began to step forward, awkwardly, as to avoid the traps. Link followed his footsteps exactly, and they slowly made their way to the left door.

After a minute, they reached it, and Nicolas noted that the areas around the door were safe. Link walked through the door.

This room was wooden and bare, save for a pedestal nearby. Link instantly knew that a treasure chest should be there, but since it wasn't, Link drew his sword. Sure enough, a slimy sound erupted from the floor and about seven Chuchus appeared. Link charged and swiped at two of them, instantly killing them. Beside him, Nicolas ran forward and slashed downward at one about to pounce on Link, killing it. Link quickly hopped over the spear to stab another Chuchu, and behind him heard slashing. Link turned and made it just in time to kill the last one, about to pounce on Nicolas.

"Thanks…" Both of them said at the same time, and a treasure chest suddenly appeared on the pedestal. Link quickly walked over and opening it, smiling as he took out the dungeon map and compass, both in the same chest, surprisingly. He pocketed it, deciding he would open it if they got lost. After all, it wouldn't show the treasure they were working for…

"Apparently, the room across from this one is completely empty. We have to go up," Nicolas said. Link looked back to see the dungeon map that he had just pocketed now in Nicolas's hands.

_How did he do that?!?!_ Link thought annoyingly, though he kept the thought to himself. _I didn't even feel that…_

"You sure?" Link asked.

"Yeah, the boss is lower, but we have to go through the locked door to get there," He responded, walking back to the door of the room. Link followed and quickly found himself back in the foyer-like room of booby traps.

"So how do we get up there?" Link asked.

"Grappling Hook?" Nicolas suggested, pocketing the map in his own pocket. Link shrugged and Nicolas began to carefully step his way across the room to the center, easily avoiding the traps, or so it seemed to Link. He was pushing himself to his the exact same spots as Nicolas. They reached the center of the room.

"Safe spot," Nicolas said, looking up at the hole. Luckily, they could see a bar up there, and Link took out the Grappling Hook. He threw it up and coiled it around the bar, resisting the urge to swing. With a small, unnecessary boost from Nicolas, he began to climb it.

He quickly reached the top and hung there. The room was tiny, barely fitting him and the chest on the ledge. Link momentarily thought that this might have once been a smuggler's hold for a ship as he opened the chest and took out the key inside. He then unhooked the Grappling Hook and gracefully dropped to the ground in front of Nicolas.

"Got it?" he asked.

"Got it," Link confirmed, and Nicolas began to tread careful steps to the locked door. A few feet away from it, though, Nicolas stopped, Link doing the same behind him.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"This part's tricky. There's no safe spot by this door…" Nicolas responded without turning. He instead merely lifted his hand over his shoulder. "Key."

Link dropped the key into his friend's hand.

"Don't move an inch, Link," he warned, and before Link knew it, Nicolas dove forward, rolling through a trap as it closed and jumping over another, soaring towards the door with key outstretched in his hand. The key plunged into the lock, and the traps all retreated at the same time, now having been turned off. Link didn't move as Nicolas turned back towards him.

"Its okay, the traps are all gone now," he said, and Link warily moved towards the door, still unsure of the traps. But no traps were sprung, and he sighed in relief as he came up next to Nicolas.

"Next room?" Link suggested, and Nicolas smiled before they walked through the next door.

This room, or rather, this space, was very foggy, which instantly put Link on edge. If it wasn't for the wooden wreckage of the ships around them, he would've thought he was in the Earth Temple again. But the surrounding were more like the Ghost Ship though…

Suddenly, he heard what sounded like a warning ping repeating several times. He recognized that sound.

"Wizrobe! Get out of the way!" Link yelled, diving to the left as three fireballs suddenly erupted from the fog, clearing away most of it in the process. Link heard the Wizrobe laugh as it disappeared somewhere ahead and drew his bow. He momentarily though about firing at it with a Light Arrow, but the energy of releasing it was so much that he would be stunned for a few moments, and that could be the death of him. Instead, he drew an arrow and, calling upon the power of the fairies inside of him, lit it on fire with magic. Then, he closed his eyes.

In the darkness, he could hear Nicolas shuffling his feet somewhere off to the right and behind him. A few moment's later, he heard the tell-tell ping of the Wizrobe appearing again and snapped his eyes open, aiming into the fog and firing the arrow. The fire cleared away the fog, showing a path to the Wizrobe he had just lit on fire. The Wizrobe screamed in pain, and Link attempted to rush it, but it was already beginning to recover and it would just disappear again.

Suddenly, a familiar spear came flying through the air and impacted with the Wizrobe, which screamed in pain as it was tossed back before disappearing into black dust. As it died, torches along the walls all came on, quickly banishing the fog from existence and revealing the next door ahead. By a wall, Nicolas stood, waiting for the fog to completely clear before walking over and picking up his spear from the ground. Link walked up to his side and they wordlessly walked into the next room, both set on their goal.

The next room was a seemingly random collection of masts and sails, all lodged against the side walls over a great pool of water. If they fell, they would have to climb up a ladder and start over. But this was a pretty easy room; not a single enemy was in it and all they needed to do was jump from mast to mast, and a few times slide down sails before they had reached the other end and were walking through another door.

This door led to a spiral staircase, and looking down, Link saw several Keese, Peahats, and Red Bubbles in the stairwell. He sighed.

"Time to clean up…" Link said, before both he and Nicolas rushed down the stairs, jumping across and down to quickly catch the monsters by surprise. The whole spectacle of battle was over in a few minutes, and at the bottom, they reached a door and walked through it, into what must have been an antechamber to the boss's battle zone. Some quick smashing of jars revealed some cool treasure, but it eventually led to Link and Nicolas standing in front of the Boss Door, the lock already been disengaged by some unknown monster or person.

"Ready, Nicolas?" Link asked, looking at Nicolas. Despite his seemingly fearless demeanor through the dungeon, he actually looked a little fearful of what was to come. Link laid his hand on Nicolas's bare shoulder and patted it, trying to comfort him as the door began to open before them. They walked inside and the door closed.

Darkness.

And then, suddenly, a small ball of fire lit up in the large room, floating there. It barely gave off any light, but its existence put the boys on edge. Where was the boss?

Suddenly, the ball of fire split into two and rocketed towards each boy.

"Duck!" Nicolas yelled, seeing it happen first, and Link did so as the fireballs flew above them. They then soared up towards the ceiling and fused together, before beginning to bubble and expand. Link watched in horror as the fireball increased in size and morph its shape, until it was finally a great demon, wielding four arms, two legs, and a body of fire. It looked down at them and roared, sending bursts of fire at them. Link immediately ran to the side, wondering if a wet shirt would have helped protect from this. He quickly decided that it would have dried and been more prone to catching fire then his bare skin. Plus it was no really, really hot in the brightly lit room.

Link caught sight of a few small rocks suddenly smacking into the demon's shape. The demon turned its head and looked upon Nicolas who had resumed running around the demon. Apparently, his fears weren't long-lasting. But what was he trying to accomplish…?

The boy suddenly remembered his Ice Arrows and pulled out his bow, stringing the Ice Arrow on it and aiming. The demon was in position to punch Nicolas and engulf him in flames, but if he timed it just right…

Link let the arrow fly, and it impacted the flaming fist as it began to punch down, instantly turning it to ice. The demon screamed in pain, which threw off its aim and sent the fist smashing into the ground near Nicolas. The fist shattered into pieces and the demon screamed again at the loss of his hand.

Link didn't waste any time. While it was mourning, Link shot three more Ice Arrows, each impacting the other hands. A few more arrows ensured the shattering of these hands, and the demon switched tactics as it began to stomp around and engulf them in flaming feet. It didn't sound appealing at all, but as Link dove to avoid a foot, the bow and arrows clattered away from him.

"No!" He cried out, but didn't have time to say anything else; the demon tried to step on him again and Link had to roll to the side. He began to run in a circle around the room, thinking that he would pick it up when he went around.

Suddenly, behind him, the demon morphed into two, smaller demons, and one instantly shifted to a spot ahead of Link. He was trapped!

Then, an Ice Arrow flew from the sidelines and froze the lower legs of the demon ahead, allowing him safe passage. As he passed, another arrow froze the rest of it and it shattered after running a little bit away from it. Link looked and saw Nicolas expertly wielding the bow as he aimed for the other demon., He let go, but the demon split into two more demons, the arrow passing through them harmlessly. They were now about the size of Darknuts, and thus, faster. Link watched as Nicolas barely strung an arrow in time to completely freeze the leading demon charging him. He dove to the side as the second demon crashed into the first, shattering it himself.

The first demon began to run after Nicolas, and Link realized he had dropped the bow and arrows. He ran over and picked them up, slinging an Ice Arrow and taking careful aim before letting it fly.

Direct hit! The demon froze, and a wailing sound began to emerge from within right before Nicolas smashed it with his spear. The creature, in its frozen state, began to shake and tremble, defeated, and then disappeared into dust. Link started jumping in joy and cheering as a Heart Container appeared from the dust. Nicolas simply smiled and laughed as the room returned to a more peaceful state of being.

Finally, after their initial victory cheer, Link walked up to Nicolas, who stood next to the Container.

"That monster…was incredibly clumsy…" Nicolas said, still smiling, and Link laughed as he took the Heart Container into his hands. Then, after a moments thought, he held it out to Nicolas.

"Huh?" he asked, confused.

"You need it more then I do. Just take it," Link said.

"But you're the one who fired at the demon," Nicolas protested.

"And then you saved my ass!"

"You saved mine too…" Nicolas attempted, but it was already clear that Link had won the stupid argument. "…Fine."

Link placed it in Nicolas's hands.

"Um…now what?" Nicolas asked, clueless as to it use.

"Just squeeze it. It'll break and the energy will be transferred to you," Link explained. Nicolas did so, and sure enough, the Container shattered, but the pieces disappeared as Nicolas absorbed the energy.

"Whoa…that felt good…" he commented. Link smiled before remembering something.

"Hey, where is the…" before Link could ask, an odd wind began to swirl around the room, ruffling their features. They looked up, and suddenly, a cascade of water came down and swirled around the room, along the walls before meeting on the floor in the center. Slowly but surely, the shape of a grand chest began to form from the water. The water finally stopped and retreated, leaving the shimmering, water chest in place. The boys walked up to it, intensely curious. Nicolas reached out and touched it.

"It's an illusion." Nicolas realized, knocking against it. Sure enough, it sounded like metal and not water. Link nodded and proceeded to open the chest.

And inside was the Current Caller.

It was a black version of the Wind Waker alright, though when it shimmered, it looked bluish as well. Link began to reach for it, but it suddenly shifted away from his hand. Link tried again, but failed. He sighed and stood up, wondering what was going on when the voice from the memorial up top suddenly sounded again.

"Young waker of the winds…you may only be able to hold and use the Current Caller with the consent of a caller of the currents…" it said, and Link sighed. Nicolas listened intently next to him.

"Who is a caller of the currents?" He asked out loud.

"It is whoever does not possess a comparable magic artifact…" the voice responded.

Link understood suddenly. It was a sort of check and balances system, made to keep too much power from falling into one's hands. And the only convenient person who could possess the Current Caller….was Nicolas.

"Nicolas, it's you. You have to take ownership of the Current Caller." Link said, momentarily thinking how it got more and more convenient to have him around. Could this be fate at work?

Link saw Nicolas look to the chest and walk forward. Leaning against, he slowly extended his hand to the baton inside. The baton did not shift away, but seemed to actually inch a little bit towards the hand. Nicolas gently grabbed the Current Caller and pulled it out of the chest.

The moment the Current Caller cleared the chest, the water in the room suddenly began to rise in a column around where the chest used to be. The room dried up incredibly quickly and the column finished rising to reveal a column of light, wide enough to spirit them both out of the dungeon.

"Ready?" Link asked, looked over at Nicolas. He smiled.

"Definitely," he responded, before they both stepped into the light together and began to rise, before disappearing into nothingness.

--

NH3: YES! After several chapters, they finally get the Current Caller. But the story is nowhere near over, I assure you.

So yeah, R&R. I get way too many visitors to this story that don't review. (WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!! LOL!)

And i-wish-a7x, you'll have to wait another chapter to get the final part of your question answered. I couldn't really fit in into this one…


	12. Correnti

NH3: Sorry this chapter took a little longer then usual to do. I procrastinated, and it might have something to do with watching Ellen DeGeneres's comedy special. ("If you leave here tonight remembering nothing, remember this: Procrastinate now. Don't put it off.") Lol.

Needless to say, I procrastinated, mostly through the use of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, NCIS, and Castle.

I'm stalling. Here's the next chapter:

--

Chapter 12: Correnti

Link looked around. They had been teleported to the outside of the dungeon's entrance. However, the small stream of water no longer flowed to any rising columns of water. Their shirts still lay by the column of light, now dry, and it looked like the journey back up would be dry. But Link had something nagging at the back of his mind now. He couldn't figure it out though.

Nicolas walked forward and grabbed their shirts, tossing Link the green shirts before beginning to slip on his own. Link caught them and put them on, momentarily seeing nothing but green. When he finished, Link saw Nicolas beginning to rise in the column of light before rocketing up.

"Hey, wait!" He yelled after him, joking a little bit. He walked forward and into the column of light, somewhat glad to leave the cavern as he began to float upward in it. He suddenly rocketed upward and, almost instantaneously, quickly landed on solid ground at the top.

_Solid ground?_

Link suddenly looked around. The little pool of water was gone, and the river that flowed from it had disappeared as well. Beside him, Nicolas was looking around in bewilderment as well. Link realized something.

"Do you think the Current Caller was causing the river to flow?" Link thought out loud. Nicolas was silent for a moment.

"Let's find out…" He said, before climbing out of the pool's depression and walking up to the monument-like stone. Link followed after him, watching closely.

Nicolas kneeled down and peered intensely at the carvings, studying them before standing up and facing the now-empty pool. Link watched as Nicolas closed his eyes before waving the black baton right, left, up, right, left, and center. Link heard nothing, but he was sure that a chorus was probably singing inside Nicolas's head.

Suddenly, water began to bubble from the hole in the center again. Link smiled as it quickly filled up the pool before beginning to flow back downhill.

"Interesting. Apparently, the Current's Canticle can affect water in other ways," Nicolas said.

"The Wind Waker could do the same with the Wind's Requiem, though I mostly used that ability for revealing chests..." Link explained as Nicolas examined the Current Caller, holding it out before him as he did so now. A little bit of time passed in between them.

"I guess we should head back to King now. He'll notice that," Link stated, breaking the silence. Nicolas nodded and the two began to walk back down through the palm woods. After a little bit of walking through the silent, monsterless woods, Nicolas spoke up.

"It looks like it's a little after noon," Nicolas noted as he looked at the sky through the trees. Link looked up.

"I don't know. I've never seen the sun that high in the sky before…" Link responded.

"Is your sea seasonal?" Nicolas immediately asked.

"Yes, although the more southern islands don't get snow, just wind…" Link said, a bit confused.

"There's your answer. The Eastern Sea enjoys a completely tropical climate, so the sun is higher in the sky. You must have drifted south without realizing it…" he explained, walking forward and looking proud of himself. Link thought about it, completely embracing the possibility, but still finding it rather skeptical. He let it drop from his mind as they emerged from the palm trees woods.

"So wait, you have never seen snow?" Link asked, very late in retrospect to the conversation. Nicolas didn't seem to mind though.

"Nope," Nicolas responded as they climbed down the first small ledge. He smiled. "I'll get to it eventually, though."

"Alright," Link said, climbing down after Nicolas. He was glad that Nicolas still seemed hopeful to the future, despite that Great Fairy's prophecies. After a bit of thought, and climbing down two more ledges, Link figured out what his new responsibility would be: he would have to use the Current Caller when Nicolas got caught. After all, how would Nicolas be able to help him from so far away? Link sighed inwardly at Nicolas's fate.

Link snapped out of his thoughts. They were approaching the King of Red Lions, and he was looking at them as they approached.

"I presume you found the Current Caller?" He asked. Nicolas nodded and held it up for King to see.

"Excellent. I suspect you already know how to use it, Nicolas," he said, invoking another nod and a smile from Nicolas.

"Our preparations are complete. We are ready to confront Ganondorf," the boat said as Link climbed in and helped Nicolas aboard.

"Time to conduct the Current's Canticle, Nicolas," Link said. He nodded and stood, closing his eyes as he played the song in the air with the baton. After the song was conducted, a moment passed where Nicolas's eyes remained shut, like he was deep in thought. Suddenly, he traced a pattern in the air, eyes still shut, before reopening his eyes and putting the Current Caller away.

"Did it work?" Link asked.

"Such a pretty current."

Link jumped and whirled about, almost knocking Nicolas overboard as he got surprised too. What looked like the head of a snake was poking its head out of the water, next to their boat. It laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," It said as it—or, more accurately, she—smiled. She looked very un-snake-like when she smiled though.

"Are you a sea serpent?" Nicolas asked.

"Yes, my child. I am Correnti, Goddess of the Currents." She said. "I trust that you're the one calling upon my powers?"

"Y-yes, ma'am…" Nicolas said awkwardly, stammering.

"No need to be so formal. You'll call me Correnti, and I'll call you Nicolas." She said.

"Excuse me for saying so, Correnti, but why are you here?" Link asked.

"I wanted to look over the new caller of the currents and approve of him, Link," She responded. Link wasn't really surprised that she already knew their names: Gods knew everyone's names.

"Well?" Link asked.

"Well, of course I approve of him. I would have eaten him and replaced the Current Caller in it's chest," she responded normally. Nicolas flinched beside Link.

"But I must also warn you about my sister, Vortice. She is the Goddess of Whirlpools, and I believe that for now, you would do well to avoid her whirlpools, until you come across the Whirlpool's Warble," Correnti said.

"Reminds me of that cyclone god…" Link muttered.

"Well, you won't get it from her, I assure you. You'll have to find the stone dedicated to her. After all, it hasn't been desecrated yet, but she still has a very nasty temper..." Correnti explained. "And now, I must be off. I pray that your journey remains safe…"

Link watched the head disappear into the water as he thought about the encounter. When she was speaking that last sentence, she looked rather…odd about it. Link felt like they weren't being told something…

"Ready to go?" Nicolas asked. Link nodded as he began to pull up the sail. The wind quickly caught on it as it went up, quickly beginning to carry them away from Picturesque Island. Link pulled out his Current Chart and looked at the currents.

The currents had changed to Nicolas's specifications. One large current cut through all the islands they had passed and went to the Second Forsaken Fortress before splitting and going back along either side of the first current before meeting up with it at Dagger Cliffs. Link nodded in silent approval and put away the map before looking at his compass. He quickly switched places with Nicolas and steered a more direct course to their destination.

"Looks like trade is going to be disrupted during our adventure..." Link thought out loud.

"I tried to minimize the damage as little as possible," Nicolas defended himself. A small pause passed between them.

"Why did you pass a current through Dagger Cliffs?"

"It's an important port to my people. I have to care about them," Nicolas said a little sassily. Link knew he was lying.

"You're homesick, aren't you?" Link asked. Nicolas sighed.

"A little..." he admitted. Link shuffled over and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry. That's natural..." Link said after a moment's thought. He had wanted to say he knew how Nicolas felt, but he wanted to go home. Nicolas had doubts bout doing so. A long silence passed between them as they sailed.

"That was interesting…" Nicolas suddenly said.

"What?"

"Correnti! Didn't that seem intriguing to you?" Nicolas burst out in glee. Looked like he wasn't homsick anymore...

"I've had several encounters like that, remember?" Link said.

"But that was incredible…I didn't even know there was a god for the currents!" Nicolas said.

"There are many gods…what gods do you observe?" Link asked.

"Din, Farore, and Nayru…why?"

_Same gods…_

"I find it odd we have the same deities…" Link responded. "What do you think, King?"

"I am not sure, Link. This sea has many ties to Hyrulean culture, just like the Great Sea…"

A long silence fell on them after that. Link had consulted the maps and found out there was no island in the sector between Picturesque Island and the Second Forsaken Fortress. This meant they had no reason for either of them to really talk. The importance of this confrontation was too great to invoke conversation. Ganondorf wouldn't die, but they needed information to help them. And right now, only their enemy had it.

All in all, it became a rather boring afternoon for them. Link made a mental note to buy a game for these long trips…

"Sun's setting…" Nicolas said as the skies began to turn orange.

"Dinner time. We've got a long night ahead of us…" Link said, shuffling over to the cargo hold and opening it, pulling out some bread and salted ham, courtesy of Chieftain Zano. Link felt guilty eating his food when Zano was probably worried sick about his son. Nicolas had no qualms though, freely eating it as night began to creep up on them.

They quickly finished their food and got on high alert, both fully awake despite the lack of stimulants. Link lowered the sail.

The Second Forsaken Fortress was ahead.

--

NH3: This chapter is shorter then others. Ah well...

And if you're curious about the names of Correnti and Vortice, those are actually the Italian translations for 'current' and 'whirlpool' respectively.


	13. The Second Forsaken Fortress

NH3: Guess what? I procrastinated! YAY! Seriously though, I was waiting for the opinion of my frequent R&Rers. (You know who you are!)

Here's the next chapter:

--

Chapter 13: The Second Forsaken Fortress

Link gazed out at the Second Forsaken Fortress, searching for a hole in the searchlight pattern. Unlike the first one, this Forsaken Fortress had five searchlights, and instead of being rudely constructed from a reef, it looked like the reef had been carved into castle-like walls. Probably the work of dark magic, but the gate was still blocked up with stone. A large, stone tower rose in the center, not incredibly high, but probably useful as a watchtower for some of the levels (the sector wasn't cursed). Link needed to plan this out carefully. After all, the action of coming here had been rather spontaneous, though not without reason.

Information. They couldn't do anything without extracting a little bit of it out of Ganondorf. Right now, they had nothing. Neither Link nor Nicolas knew what the fate of the Master Sword was, why it had stopped working, where Ganondorf was searching for the Fourth Triforce, and if the Sages were okay. This was the fastest way to figure out those mysteries; everything would take too long.

The boat's rudder creaked as Nicolas steered a little left. He was cruising the ship at a safe distance, also keeping an eye out for a hole in the defense. The current would have normally tried to carry them away, but Nicolas had quickly remedied that by easing the water's movements in this sector.

"Man, I wish we could sail underwater…" Nicolas whispered, despite the distance. The dark and the secrecy they were planning for this part of the adventure were becoming instinctive. This was actually a good thing…

"Be my guest, but you can't take the boat," Link responded jokingly. He continued to peer to the structure, kind of wishing he had Aryll's telescope. She had taken it back though, after they returned to Outset Island in the Great Sea.

"Link!" Nicolas suddenly hissed, pointing towards a wall. Link peered at it, having his vision momentarily blocked by light as a searchlight passed in front of it. Then, he saw it as the light moved off. A small staircase rose into the Fortress from a small platform, probably used for launching Boboklins on rafts that simply drifted around on the seas, or even for preparing submarines. It gave them a perfect infiltration path. Now they had to get through the searchlights.

Of course, stealth wasn't the only option, but Link wanted to keep it that way. Fortunately, Link was reasonably sure that they could sail to it from their current position and break through just in time.

"Are we sailing for it?" Nicolas asked quietly. Link nodded, pulling out the Wind Waker. A quick glance at his compass told him that they needed to sail west as fast as possible and, closing his eyes, Link played the Wind's Requiem, waving it to the west. A moment passed before the characteristic gale blew past them, heading straight towards the Forsaken Fortress. He momentarily wondered if the enemy would take notice of that, but put it out of his mind.

Link quickly switched places with Nicolas, instructing him to pull up the sail when he said so. Link turned the ship towards the stairs beyond the searchlight and took a deep breath, watching the movement of the searchlights.

"Now!" He spoke suddenly, and the sail went up immediately, rocketing them forward towards the side of the Forsaken Fortress. They crossed into the searchlights paths just as it began to move away from them.

But already, the searchlights were beginning to circle back to them. It was gonna be close, and Link silently urged the wind to go faster.

The moments passed by, growing in tension as they got closer to their goal and the searchlights started to get closer. But Link was convinced: they were going to make it!

"Lower sails," Link said, and Nicolas did so, quickly at that. Their momentum continued to carry them forward, and they just got past the searchlights. In fact, if the sails had been up, it would have been seen and their cover would have been blown. Neither boy reflected on this though; they were too busy sighing in relief.

Link looked up and quickly steered the boat alongside the walls as it moved. The King of Red Lions came to a gentle stop by the stone platform and Link and Nicolas slunk out of the boat.

"Keep this in mind, you two: You'll find out more if you're not seen," The King of Red Lions whispered to them. Link nodded and caught a glimpse of Nicolas doing the same before starting to climb the stairs ahead of him. Link followed to the top, drawing his sword and shield. Ahead of him, Nicolas drew his retracted staff, which acted more like a short sword in that form.

Up at the top, at the stair entry, Nicolas crossed to the other side of it, lightning fast. Both remained crouching as they peered over the stone.

A couple of Boboklins were walking back and forth on this part of the wall, although they looked like they weren't really bothering with the job. Their steps were lazy, and their sights seemed occluded and focused on something else. One of them ran into the wall right before them, almost causing Link to giggle. But he couldn't. He shouldn't.

Link looked over to Nicolas. Nicolas looked back, and Link moved two fingers over his head. Nicolas nodded in understanding. A moment passed before Link nodded sharply setting off a chain of events. They jumped over the short, stone wall and immediately rushed the Boboklins.

The Boboklins didn't even have time to utter a squeak. In two quick, clean swings, Link's target was disappearing into black dust, and beside him, the other Boboklin did the same in response to Nicolas's lethal attacks.

"Shh!" Link whispered, just in case. They froze for a moment, but no creature stirred the air around them. Both boys relaxed and walked over to the other side of the wall, looking over.

There was a moat around the center tower, but it looked like it was more made to be a port instead of a protective barrier. Above it, wooden poles and bridges interconnected, serving as a system of cranes and ropes. Inside the moat, a couple of submarines poked their tops above the water. Link couldn't see any way in from this angle, apart from the ledges decorating the side of the tower. They weren't an option though: the searchlights enshrouded them in light. They couldn't turn them off without alerting other monsters, and so they'd have to find another way in.

"C'mon," Link whispered, moving left and to the door nearby. He heard no sound from Nicolas, but Link was sure he was followed.

Link turned the doorknob carefully and opened it a crack, peeping in. He didn't see anything, so Link opened it a little more and maneuvered half his head through the doorway.

The room—or, rather, hallway—was occupied. A single Moblin stood inside, facing away from him. Link opened the door wide enough to show Nicolas the target and rolled to the side and into the shadow, away from the torches. Link watched as Nicolas did the same, but to the other side of the room.

The door creaked as it closed. The Moblin whipped around, sniffing the area. Link saw his chance. In a flash, Link charged the Moblin. The Moblin through its torch at Link, but Link swiftly dodged it by rolling before swinging at the Moblin's legs. The Moblin yelled and attempted to swing its spear, but Link back flipped away. He looked up just in time to see Nicolas arc above him, spear at full length and slash the Moblin into black dust.

Both boys panted before quickly moving to the door, Nicolas retracting his spear again. Nicolas opened it this time, peering out, but simply walked through ahead of Link. Link followed, seeing no enemies on the walkway. His companion moved over to the wall.

"Link!" He hissed, pointing. Link walked up and followed his finger to the large gate in the tower. It had been facing away from them when they last saw the tower. Better yet, it was wide open.

Link smiled as he pulled out his Grappling Hook. Swinging it around him, he gave it a good toss, where it coiled around a pole with a crane dangling from it. Thankfully, they would be too low for searchlights to see them.

"Grab on," Link whispered, and Nicolas did so.

"Go!" He said, and both swung into the darkness within the walls.

They didn't make it to the gate. Not even close. But that was easily remedied. Link and Nicolas weighted themselves down, stopping their swing, and Nicolas grabbed onto the crane next to them. Link followed suit, holding on with one hand and hoping Nicolas could hold him. He didn't want to fall…

Fortunately, despite being pulled on by Link and his arm holding onto the crane, Nicolas was capable of holding him. Link gave a tug on the Grappling Hook and retracted it back into his hand before swinging it around to throw it again. He let go and the Grappling Hook hung onto a pole that was definitely close enough to their goal. Gripping Nicolas's hand tightly, he told him to let go.

"You sure—ready?" Nicolas asked, changing the question midway. Link nodded, and Nicolas's hand released the crane claw. Link swung them through the air, holding on to Nicolas tightly as they began to swing upwards and inside the gate.

Past the bright threshold, Link caught sight of a boardwalk, and without hesitation, let go of Nicolas before swinging backwards and outside. Link shifted his weight down and swung back faster and harder before jerking on the Grappling Hook, detaching, and landing on the boardwalk.

Link heard Nicolas groan next to him and couldn't help but agree. Both of them had crashed to the ground instead of making a graceful landing. Link pushed himself up, feeling sore as he looked around.

The inside of the tower had a bottom for a small docking station, which they now stood on. Some spiral stairs in the corner led far up into the next floor. But the most interesting object was the nearby chest by the other corner, and the sign nearby that basically said to leave all treasures for Ganondorf in the chest. Link walked up to it and opened it, feeling an air of suspense around him. A quick glance back told him that Nicolas had stood and was watching Link.

Link opened the chest and threw back the top wide open. Looking inside, he smiled at a bag of rupees and grabbed it, making a mental note to split it between him and Nicolas. Link then pocketed a treasure map and gently gripped the last item.

This item carried a wave of importance in itself. Link couldn't explain it, but he had felt this feeling before anyway, like when he had gotten other useful and important items on his journey. The item was two circular disks with Hyrulean scripture on them, both exactly the same. Link turned them over and saw him looking back at himself in the mirrors.

"Pocket Mirrors…what an interesting treasure. Here, Nicolas, have one," Link commented, holding out one of them to Nicolas. Nicolas gently took it and stared at his own reflection.

"I look so different…" he whispered, barely audible and Link almost missed it. Link guessed he was now surprised at his appearance, since he could see himself.

"Hey, you look good," Link complimented with the air of a joke, even if it wasn't particularly funny. Nicolas shrugged and put the Pocket Mirror away. Link turned to his own to see his reflection, but found that one to be mucky on the surface. Link kneeled down next to the nearby water and began to clean it up a little.

"Huh?" Nicolas suddenly said. Link turned back and watched as Nicolas pulled out the Pocket Mirror, which now vibrated and glowed an eerie blue.

"They must be magic of some sort," Link said, turning back to his to see his now clean reflection. But instead of a green-capped, dirty-blond kid, he saw from above a brown-haired kid holding a blue object.

"What the—oh, Nicolas, put some water on your Pocket Mirror!" Link said excitingly. Nicolas kneeled next to him and did so. Link watched Nicolas do so in his mirror before the image blurred and shifted to one of Nicolas peering intensely back at him.

"It's apparently a communication's device. This'll come in handy!" Nicolas smiled before wiping the mirror dry. It momentarily glowed blue before Link did the same to his, causing them to return to dormant artifacts. Link put his away and turned towards the nearby stairway.

"Now let's see where that goes…" Link said, beginning to climb.

At the top, Link pushed open a little trap door to look inside and saw a sight familiar to him. The inside of the tower looked a little like the one in the first Forsaken Fortress. There was a huge holding cell in the corner, but no one was inside it. Link threw it open and, looking up, seeing a spiral formation of walkways, but in circular form, since this tower was circular and not rectangular. Link could see a few Boboklins on it, but the ground was not surveyed by them. Link crawled out and stood, momentarily helping Nicolas do the same before pulling out his Hero's Bow. Looking up, he drew an arrow and aimed, enchanting it with fire before releasing it. The arrow set aflame the nearest Boboklin, who promptly fell over the edge and disappeared in dust at the bottom. Link did the same with the others before the huge room was cleared.

"Nice," Nicolas commented.

"Yeah, but Ganondorf's at the top of this tower. I'm sure of it!" Link responded, before beginning to run up the walkways. Nicolas followed, and they easily made it to the top. Link momentarily wondered about the appearance of a Helmaroc King, but apparently, Ganondorf didn't have another one to pull out of his pocket.

At the top, they emerged to a small platform outside of a fancy door. Link mentioned Nicolas to keep quiet and approached the door.

"…it doesn't matter. If they are in the picture, then we have to double our search efforts!" Link could hear Ganondorf behind the door.

"We have, my lord, but the artifact remains elusive. Every clue leads to another clue, and I fear we may be going in circles…" Another voice said in the grunting tones of a Darknut. Link looked to the side and saw a tiny ledge going around the house. Link rushed over to them as quietly as possible and began to sidle along them. Next to him, Nicolas did the same, bristling slightly at the huge height they had reached. Link came to a window about a quarter of the way around and moved underneath it to the other side before both could peep inside.

Their presence was unnoticed. Ganondorf was pacing the room in front of them, apparently in deep thought. A black and gold Darknut stood at attention near the door.

"My lord, if we could just—ugh!" Ganondorf had cut him off in mid-sentence back grabbing the monster's throat and lifting him into the air. Link had to admit, he was one of the stronger enemies he had.

"No. You have already failed me," Ganondorf growled evilly, before tossing the Darknut into a corner of the room and drawing his sword.

"Do you know what sword is this?" he asked as the Darknut struggled in pain. "This sword is very special indeed. It was wielded by many great heroes before it sealed me away for what was supposedly a final time."

Link's eyes immediately widened. It was the Master Sword, but he could no longer recognize it. The hilt had turned red and the blade black. An essence of evil rose from it.

"It was once the Blade of Evil's Bane. Now its role has been reversed," Ganondorf said, walking up to the fallen Darknut. "But its blade is more then enough for you."

In a great slash, the Darknut disappeared into black dust, which Ganondorf promptly waved away.

"What a waste…" Ganondorf said. Link glared at Ganondorf and decided it was time to face him. Link slunk into the window, followed by Nicolas. With all the silence he could muster, Link drew a Light Arrow and aimed at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf immediately faced him, sensing the glare from the arrow. Link fired, but not before Ganondorf could jump and dodge it. The Arrow flew harmlessly out of the window.

"Hello, boy," Ganondorf glared evilly, wielding the corrupted Master Sword.

"What have you done to the Master Sword?" Link immediately asked.

"Well, let's just say that the Sages met an untimely fate…" Ganondorf smiled and chuckled to himself. This enraged Link, and with a yell, he charged Ganondorf, eager for revenge.

Swinging his sword, Link was disappointed to find his slash had been blocked by Ganondorf. Ganondorf pushed him back and began a vertical slash towards Link, but was interrupted when Nicolas slid on his knees by them and slashed Ganondorf's open side. Ganondorf roared in pain, even though no blood could be drawn from the evil man, and promptly kicked Link with a spin. Link flew back through another set of doors and found himself on a deck of sorts, high above the moat. Link stood and took out the Hero's Bow, firing it again as Nicolas had Ganondorf distracted. Ganondorf, unfortunately, dodged and knocked Nicolas to the floor ahead of Link, who quickly stepped forward and checked his friend.

Nicolas had been knocked unconscious, but it looked temporary. He was already beginning to stir, and Link stepped over him, facing Ganondorf.

"You can't protect each other from my wrath!" Ganondorf roared, before unleashing a flurry of slashes. Several made glancing blows and cut his skin, but he blocked all the lethal ones as he was pushed back.

"Ha!" Ganondorf yelled out, jumping back and picking up Nicolas by the wrist, who had returned to consciousness and now struggled in Ganondorf's grip.

"Link! Help me!" He cried out. Link immediately ran at Ganondorf, but Ganondorf smacked him into the air and over the edge.

In essence, his dreams began to fulfill themselves…

--

Nicolas knew he was screwed. Link had fallen over the edge, and he knew he was probably next. Nevertheless, he struggled, trying to reach for the spear on his back, but gravity fighting him and preventing him from doing so.

"You know it's useless, my little friend," Ganondorf smiled evilly.

"I'm not your friend!" Nicolas responded angrily, spitting on Ganondorf. He was unfazed, but seemed to have his gaze focused on the grip he had.

"…You may be useful to me…" he muttered, holding Nicolas over the edge of the deck. Nicolas began to struggle as Ganondorf's hand began to glow black.

Pain. Pain unlike anything he ever felt shot through every limb in his body, seeming to encompass his very mind and spirit as well. Nicolas screamed, harder them he ever screamed before, every muscle tightening up on him.

And then Ganondorf let go, and Nicolas fell, spiraling into a world of nightmares.

--

NH3: Damn, you have no idea how eager I wanted to write the final scene of this chapter. If you want to see the event from Link's point of view, he had a prophetic dream in Chapter 7. There are a few difference, such as Nicolas wearing his tribal clothes, but that was because that was the only form Link knew him in at the time.

R&R!


	14. Cursed

NH3: Next chapter ahoy! Enjoy, and R&R. If you like reviews as much as I do, you'll understand why.

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Chapter 14: Cursed

Nicolas strained against his muscles. He felt so tired, so exhausted, like he would never recover from whatever ordeal he couldn't remember. Was it night or day? The opening of his eyes revealed nothing but pitch black darkness, darker then a normal night would be.

"Nicolas?" He heard, and Nicolas responded by looking up and ahead. He gave a small sound of pain as his neck moved, feeling sore and twisted at the same time.

"Nicolas! Don't move, I'm coming!" In the distance, a lone figure stood in the dark, oddly bright when the light he emitted didn't reach to the darkness around him. It was Link! Nicolas couldn't be more glad to see him.

"Link…" Nicolas exerted, squeaking in pain.

"Just hold on!"

Nicolas wasn't sure how he had gotten here, or where he was, or anything. His thoughts felt hazy and occluded, like a great fog was blocking out something important that was trying to reach the surface. It was odd.

A boot suddenly stepped next to him. Nicolas looked up and saw Link kneeling down to him, holding a bottle.

"Here, I have a potion," Link explained, uncorking it. Nicolas had never seen a purple potion, but he couldn't think anything of it right now. There was too much pain.

Nicolas opened his mouth and Link tipped the potion into Nicolas's mouth. Nicolas barely needed to swallow; it seemed to move all on its own as it began to travel through his body and cure him.

"Thank you…" Nicolas said as he curled his body up as his pain eased from head to toe.

"You won't be feeling so thankful in a moment…" Link said seriously. Nicolas nodded, bracing himself for whatever side-effect might be coming his way.

And then pain struck.

It wasn't the sore, murky pain that he had just felt, but the biting, stinging pain of a thousand stings impaling his insides and outsides. It made it that much worse that he could now move around and thrash about in pain. Tears in his eyes, he forced himself to his knees and looked up.

"It hurts!" Nicolas screamed. But he found no comfort in his friend's smile. Link smiled, but it was an evil smile that wasn't his. Nicolas cringed in fear as Link's eyes suddenly began to glow an evil, crimson red.

"Heh…Link has abandoned you for this immortal form," The copy of Link said evilly. The evil Link walked up to Nicolas's pained form and grabbed his neck, slowly lifting him up into the air. Nicolas began to choke.

"You're no help to anyone. You're just a burden to those you love, and unable to accept your fate." Link growled.

"That's no fate!" Nicolas strained, trying to push away Link's hand for a little more air.

"Then you should've found a new one…" Link seemed to sigh a little, and Nicolas thought he saw a little bit of the old Link in his eye.

"Link! Come back! You can fight this!" Nicolas called out, trying to reach his friend. Link grinned.

"He's not coming back…" The red-eyed Link grinned evilly and lifted the corrupt Master Sword, thrusting it forward and ramming it all the way through Nicolas's midsection.

With what little breath he was left, Nicolas screamed…

--

"Screw it…" Link muttered, pulling out a bomb and holding it above the water with one hand, using the other to keep Nicolas's head above the water. They needed to get out of there now, otherwise the monsters would rip them to pieces.

Link, feeling slightly glad about the automatic fuse, hefted it and threw it at hard as he could at the stone covered entrance. The bomb made contact and blew apart with spectacular force, dislodging entire rocks and causing them to fall into the ocean. Link must have hit a weak spot, but he didn't care. He had to get them out of there.

With grunts, Link began to swim them out and through the entryway, hoping the King of Red Lions was cruising his way over. Link smiled internally as he saw a familiar red boat rounding the Fortress and swam towards it.

"Link! What happened?" He asked urgently as Link hefted the unconscious Nicolas into the boat.

"I don't know," Link panted as he climbed in and instantly pulled up the sail. "We eavesdropped on Ganondorf, and then confronted him to get information. Then we fought, and I got knocked down to the moat. I don't know what Ganondorf did to Nico though, but he screamed before Ganondorf let go."

"Link, Ganondorf's reserves of dark magic have always been exponential. He might have cursed Nicolas! Do you see anything different about him? Anything new, anyplace Ganondorf may have touched?" The boat asked as they began to sail away from the Forsaken Fortress. Link paled.

"His wrist!" He realized, pulling up Nicolas's left sleeve and gasping.

Around his wrist was a bracelet that covered his wrist and climbed a third of the way up his forearm. It was a dirty black with crude markings in gray on it, seeming to present a dark spell only evil magicians could see.

"What do you see?" The King of Red Lions asked. Link gave a description and the boat seemed to tense up around him.

"I have seen that before. Back in Hyrule, when Ganondorf wanted to bend others to his will, he would bind that to them. It serves as a direct link to Ganondorf's mind, where he can create evil fantasies to torture the victim, physically and mentally. Most people break within hours…" He said sadly. Link's determination only strengthened at this.

"Nicolas is not like most people. I can break his curse…" Link muttered angrily. Checking on the Sages would have to wait; Nicolas was his priority now.

"I do believe you can, but Nicolas can not go with you. He'll need the frequent care and watch of others to get through this," The King of Red Lions said.

"Why?!" Link asked.

"Ganondorf's connection is to Nicolas's mind. He can bend the actual mind to command the body to do things it shouldn't normally do," The boat explained. At that moment, Nicolas started to thrash about in his unconscious sate, gripping his midsection tightly and arching his back. Link almost panicked, knowing that Nicolas's stomach was probably being slashed up. Link couldn't help clear his friends mind, but he had to do something about the physical wounds inside. Ganondorf wanted Nicolas alive for something, but Link wouldn't let his friend teeter on the brink of death.

Reaching into his bag, Link pulled out a bottle with a fairy inside it. He opened it and pointed the opening towards Nicolas, but the fairy began to cure him instead.

"No! Not me! Him!" Link hissed, pointed to Nicolas. The fairy finished him anyway, but instead of disappearing, it flew over to Nicolas and flew and arc of sparkles over his head before lingering around the unconscious boy, fixing the wounds as they were coming…

"Good…" Link said, looking back. They hadn't sailed out of sight of the Forsaken Fortress yet, but the distance reminded Link that he had to change the wind.

Link quickly checked the Current Chart. They would have to use an island on the currents, since Link wasn't sure if he had the consent to use the Current Caller. Neither boy had thought about it.

Link sighed. There was only one place that Nicolas could be taken care of.

Dagger Cliffs.

Link was not really prone to the idea at all. It was the very place Nicolas had run from. But Link knew there was no alternative, and with a small sigh, he pulled out the Wind Waker, conducted the Wind's Requiem, and sent the wind spiraling southwest. Link gripped the rudder and made a hard turn left to follow the wind and currents. They moved fast, but Link already felt the pressure of this task. Two fairies wouldn't keep Nicolas well for that long, even if he had the symbolic Fairy Crown to help him out. Already, Link could feel the first fairy reaching the end of it's purpose nearby.

"You might not make it in time," A voice suddenly said. Link didn't panic; the voice belonged to Correnti, whose head poked out of the water next to the boat.

"Can you get us back quicker?" Link asked.

"Yes, amidst stormy seas, but I can," Correnti said, before disappearing back under the water. Link waited as they continued to sail. He needed this time to form a plan. Calm before the storm.

Nicolas was unrecognizable. Link knew that for a fact. But he couldn't do anything drastic about Nicolas's fake backgrounds. He'd be screwed if Nicolas somehow woke up and knew nothing about some complex cover-up.

Nicolas's name would have to be Nico for this visit. It was simple and far too close to Nicolas, but Link didn't have a choice. Nicolas wouldn't know anything else to answer to. Link could probably distract from that by asking about Nicolas and pretending to be shocked when Nicolas was gone, but already, this whole plan seemed sketchy. Link put it out of his mind though. Now where did Nico come from?

Watermill Archipelago. Definitely made it likely that he'd find a companion with a similar name if it was that island. It had a good-sized population, and there was virtually no way to confirm this origin. Alright. Now how did they meet?

Maybe Nicolas could have been a helper who decided to come along after he'd—no, no, that wouldn't work. Too complex for Nicolas to understand. Nicolas would be more prone to saying he was hired as a helping hand. Link decided that would have to do…

It was at this time that Link looked backwards and saw dark clouds fast approaching. It reminded him a lot like when the Great Sea was cursed by Ganondorf. Right on cue, it seemed, Correnti popped her head back on the water.

"I've had to curse the sea to help Nicolas. Time has slowed around you, but the clouds move fast. I will protect you from the waves that could end you're voyage, but I cannot help you with the wind. You'll have to be wary when it pulls on your sails."

"Pardon me for asking, Correnti, but why are you helping us?" Link asked. Correnti sighed.

"I cannot explain to you right now. I can only say that this turn of events requires godly intervention," she said. Link nodded at the cryptic message. He'd figure it out later, when he had time.

Time. It seemed to have become his greatest enemy…

Link was jolted from that thought by a huge, wet raindrop landing on his exposed hair. Link looked up and got hit in the eye by another.

"The storm is upon us…" Correnti said, before disappearing underwater. Within moments of her departure, a torrential downpour began to soak the Eastern Sea around them, instantly soaking Link and the unconscious Nicolas.

Link immediately grabbed for the sail, pulling it back to grab it and the rudder at the same time. Link would need plenty of control to pull this off.

Link felt butterflies in his stomach as the first, huge wave began to shake the seas.

Lightning flashed across the stormy seas, illuminating the silhouette of the massive sea serpent that was Correnti as she erupted from the water and went on a head-first collision course with the waves.

--

NH3: Ooh, I think it gets better and better. The Wind Waker had a lot a good stuff in it. I'm glad I was able to incorporate cursed seas in here.

Will they make it through the seas? Or will they be shipwrecked. They certainly won't die! What's the point in that?!?!

I must say, I have a bit of a rule when it comes to writing: every chapter must have at least 2000 words, with the exceptions of prologues and stuff. I used to put it at 1000, but it didn't work well for this story. This story deserves too much detail ^^.


	15. Stormy Skies, Shaky Seas

NH3: Man, it took forever to upload this because my comp is out of commision (room is being painted) and for some reason, I couldn't upload it to the manager. Got it though!

I'm hoping to hit 50 reviews with this chapter, so everyone do me a huge favor and R&R please ^^.

--

Chapter 15: Stormy Skies, Shaky Seas

"You know, it gives me great pleasure to see the color red. It is the color of roses, dresses…and blood," Link snickered as walked around Nicolas.

Nicolas was in terrible pain. After he had been stabbed, it seemed the wound had cured, but the feeling remained. He still felt like there was a literal hole in his stomach, burning his flesh as an imaginary sword remained.

Wherever Nicolas was, Link—no, it wasn't Link, he told himself—seemed to have power here. The darkness was still almighty, allowing the sight of nothing else but the immediate. And, of course, what Link wanted, he got. Right after his wound was cured, a wooden beam had appeared above them, disappearing into darkness at either end, and before Nicolas could fight back, dark magic grasped him and tied rope around his hands, leaving him hanging on the beam.

Nicolas panted a little as the rope tore into his wrists, which bled badly and dripped red onto his head and down his face. This wasn't as bad as the sword, but the time he was left there seemed like hours and hours, while Link endlessly circled around him, stirring in his own pride and joy.

He mentally shook himself. This wasn't Link! Not even close! But the image seemed so real. This Link shared the same characteristics as the one he knew, just not their personality. And this Link had said Link had abandoned his mortal form.

Wasn't that enough proof for him?

"No…it's not…" Nicolas growled, glaring at Link, who frowned in response. Did he understand these words? Was he inside his mind?

"…poor, poor Nicolas…a lot of people must pity you…" Link glared. Nicolas didn't respond.

With a short shout, Link suddenly drew the corrupted Master Sword from its sheath and cut a gash in Nicolas's side. Nicolas yelled in pain for a moment as blood began to stream from his new wound. He looked back to Link, who was holding up the dark, bloodied sword close to his face, like he was inspecting it.

And then Link opened his mouth and licked a small space of blood off the sword, tasting it. Nicolas was disgusted, and it got even more revolting when Link proceeded to lick the sword completely clean.

"Like I said, I enjoy the color red," Link said, before cutting another gash, on Nicolas's other side. He yelped.

"It represents many things…" Another gash.

"Like power…" And another cut.

"And anger…" And another slice.

"And pain…" And another slash.

"And love…"Nicolas screamed as the swipe crossed paths with all his other wounds. He was coated in blood, and looked sliced up as hell.

"But love seems to spare you a lot. You may think there are those that love you…but they don't…" Link said mockingly, before ramming the blade through Nicolas's midsection again.

Nicolas's screams pierced the darkness, but no one was around to hear them…

--

Link gasped in surprise as another fierce gale ripped past and nearly threw him off his feet as his pushed the boat. The storm was just like the one from the Great Sea: it got worse and worse…

Link looked down to see the fairy was still healing Nicolas as best as she could. It was an interesting sight to grace the moment: the cursed sea was affecting the fairy and his companion, but not the travel of the boat or himself. Correnti had done well.

And she was still doing well. Correnti stayed well ahead of them, but every time an impassable wave made its way towards them, Correnti dove forward and broke it up, allowing them safe passage through. With every wave, Link's spirit of adventure and hope was reinforced a little more. Right now, Link wanted to see the same smile on Nicolas's face like he usually did as such sights. Only hard work would bring that back to them…

Link steered the boat through some particularly large waves. He had worried about the rain at first, since it could flood the boat. But Link had forgotten about the complex woodwork in the King of Red Lions that easily bypassed this problem. It was quite amazing when it had been explained to him so long ago, and such a use in their current situation. Now, the only problem was how wet they were getting. It would be really messed up if Nicolas froze to death from the freezing sheets of rain, of all things. Link could only trust in the fairy's abilities right now. He made a mental note to find a solution to this problem another time…

With an annoyed grunt to the wind, Link pulled out the Current Chart. They were making good progress on the cursed seas: they were halfway there. Link carefully put the chart away, not letting it go until he was sure it was safe in his inside pocket.

"Hey!" Link almost fell overboard in surprise as something vibrated in his pocket. He reached inside it and pulled out the Pirate's Charm.

"Yeah?" Link called back, holding on to the side of the boat.

"Link, what the hell is going on? It hasn't rained like this since that time when the Great Seas were cursed," She asked annoyingly. Link remembered dully that Tetra didn't like rain much at all.

"I'm sorry, Tetra. I'm heading back to Dagger Cliffs right now," He responded.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. Do you remember that prince you bunked with?"

"Yeah…" Link responded loudly, the waves, clouds, darkness, and rain demanding ever more attention. Link knew what she was going to say anyway.

"Well, he's disappeared. Chieftain Zano has already launched a full-scale search across the Eastern Seas for him. He almost went after you, but all witnesses say you left alone, so no problem there…" Tetra explained. "I have to wonder if he had significance in the Eastern Sea and his disappearance is linked to this curse…"

_You're half right, Tetra…_ Link thought to himself.

"Yeah, Tetra, I have a casualty here. We'll be back in a few hours, and I need plenty of healers for this one," Link said.

_Great. Now I have to lie to Tetra._

"What happened?"

"Well, when I stopped at Watermill Archipelago, I picked up a companion. A helping hand if you will…" Link started. "Anyway, to make a long story short, Nico got cursed by Ganondorf and needs constant care to stay with us…"

"Your helping hand is named Nico?" Tetra asked.

"Yeah, similar to both Nicolas and Niko. Small world, huh?" Link quickly said.

"Alright then, see you soon…" Tetra responded warily before the Pirate's Charm returned to a normal state. Link put it away as Correnti's head suddenly pulled back alongside the boat.

"Link, we have a problem. She said calmly, despite the chaos.

"What is it?" Link asked, before he saw it: a giant whirlpool, dead ahead. Link was already too close to steer away, and before Link knew it, he was taking down the sail so they wouldn't capsize and Correnti was talking frantically.

"I've never seen Vortice use such strength before. I must talk to her!" Correnti disappeared under the water as the King of Red Lions started to swirl around the center, being pushed on the side. Link was practically powerless now. He couldn't possibly get a shot with his arrows in this weather. He could only trust that Correnti could get them out of this.

Link quickly scampered over to Nicolas and the fairy on top of him. As Link grabbed Nicolas, the fairy suddenly disappeared, its energy spent. Link quickly pulled out another bottle and, glad that this one also had a fairy in it, popped the cork with his thumb and let it loose. This fairy immediately flew to Nicolas and began to heal him in a sort of slow motion like the other fairy from before. The description seemed too complex: magic did that a lot.

_Dammit…we could've made it. We were so close…_ Link thought as they quickly swirled in towards the center. He gripped Nicolas tighter: if he let go, all hope for Nicolas would disappear.

"Good luck, King," Link yelled.

"And good luck to you too, Link…" he said rather solemnly as the bow of the boat began to get sucked into the center. Link gripped the side of the boat, hoping they wouldn't get separated.

And then the boat plunged into the seas.

It was absolutely freezing under the water, and, hooking his boot under the rim of the boat, Link gripped Nicolas tighter, holding his mouth and nose closed for him. Link had to keep his companion warm.

They continued to float underwater. Link wondered if he could hold his breath any longer when he realized there was no pressure on his face. Opening his mouth, he found that he could properly breathe, despite the water. More magic. It reminded Link of the first time he traveled to Hyrule Castle under the waves. He had held his breath for some of the way, but finally began to cough to death, only to realize he could still breathe. It had been slightly embarrassing for him.

With a thankful sigh, he let go of Nicolas's mouth, still keeping him close.

Next to them, in the calm murky water, Correnti was swimming in vertical circles around their boat—no, it wasn't Correnti. Correnti had blue scales. This sea serpent was white. Could this be the Goddess of Whirlpools that Correnti referred to?

"Vortice?" Link asked hesitantly.

"Duh…" Vortice responded sassily. Apparently, she did not have the proper personality of her sister, although they shared an informal level of thought.

"What is happening?"

"You got sucked into my whirlpool. Any ships bigger then yours would have been torn apart. You're boat is small enough, but Correnti wanted me to help you as well," Vortice explained bluntly.

"How?" Link asked.

"By taking you to Dagger Cliffs!" Vortice looked at Link like he was an idiot, but Link had finally understood. The whirlpools worked in the same way on the Eastern Sea that the cyclones did on the Great Sea. They served as shapely banes for large ships and transportation for the smallest ones. Link was thankful now: they would get to Dagger Cliffs a lot quicker now. Not instantaneous, but not too long.

"Is there a song for controlling the whirlpools?" Link asked.

"Obviously. My sister told you about it, remember? The Whirlpool's Warble?" Vortice said. Link had a faint recollection of that conversation.

"Can you teach it to me?"

"Sorry, but while the Wind Waker and the Current Caller can use some of each other's songs, they cannot learn each other's without a diagram. Verbal won't work…"

"Alright…" Link sighed. It would have been useful as hell, but you win some and lose some. That was life.

He really hoped he would win this gambit with Nicolas's life though.

"We have arrived," Vortice suddenly said, and the boat pulled up and towards the shining surface

Link suddenly felt really, really wet. It wasn't the torrential sheets of rain still coming down upon the seas, but rather the layer of water they seemed to have passed on the way to the surface. Vortice had disappeared—she probably didn't like the surface, and Link quickly pulled up the sail. Dagger Cliffs rose from the sea just ahead.

Peering through the darkness of rain and wind, Link saw the makeshift lighthouse moving back and forth frantically. It must have been looking for the King of Red Lions. It was quickly proven when the boat wandered into the light and the lighthouse kept its light on them as they sailed through the rocky columns. Finally, Link saw the port, whose ships were rocking up and down and side to side, but still holding sturdy. Link quickly curved around them and to the smaller docks, where he was greeted with a great sight.

Tetra had done her preparations well. She stood in the torrential rain with several other men, probably servants of the court. Two of them held a stretcher, and a couple others had bottles in their hands, probably with fairies. Link momentarily wondered how they would keep finding fairies, but Nicolas's—or rather, Nico's—immediate assistance was the issue now.

Link quickly pulled into the docks and a couple servants tied the boat down while others lifted Nicolas onto the stretcher. A brand new fairy was realized to Nicolas's aid as Link got out and was met by Tetra's smirk.

"Welcome back," she smiled and gave him her trademark wink before they began to follow Nicolas's body.

--

NH3: At least I found stuff to do with this goddamn chapter…God, it was incredibly annoying to come up with stuff to include in a boring chapter of stormy seas. Plus I was running on a time limit, so I felt frantic. Anyway, R&R, I hope to get 50 reviews before the next chapter (like I said before) and anyone can be helpful to this goal. Thanks (and R&R!)


	16. Waking Tears

NH3: Well, I only got about halfway to the number of reviews I wanted in the last chapter. But whatever. What's another chapter between me and reviewers? (A lot! I write this for you guys, lol)

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Let's try for 50 reviews again, guys. I know that a lot of people read this (we all have a traffic page) and it would be nice if I got several reviews from new people. I like to hear the opinions of people.

--

Chapter 16: Waking Tears

Nicolas moaned. Everything felt hazy. Everything felt foggy. He was exhausted.

But there was no pain.

"Shh. He's waking up!"

Nicolas still had his eyes closed, but he could feel the presence of several others around him. The shifting of the sheets around him proved that as positions were taken around him. This outreach of his feeling also proved to him a few other facts. One, his hair was wet. Two, something had happened to him. And three, he was shirtless. None of these realizationa made any effect on his conscious mind though, and so finally, Nicolas began to open his eyes.

The first thing his sight was greeted by was an unfamiliar face. She wore white clothes and a white cap. She had to be a nurse, of course Nicolas would have probably never seen her.

"Welcome back," She smiled, but her eyes glittered in sadness, like she knew more about something. But the only thing Nicolas did was smile, albeit tiredly. He felt so relieved to be freed from a world of nightmares, no matter what else could be wrong.

The nurse retracted her head to the side of the bed and turned away, disappearing from Nicolas's sight as Link's face came into view from the other side of the bed.

"Nicolas! You're up," Link grinned and gripped his shoulder. He seemed reluctant to hug his friend, but Nicolas didn't feel like he was in any condition to move around like that anyway. His eyes also held the same hidden sadness the nurse had.

Another face moved into sight where the nurse had been. It was that pirate girl Link had come with—Tetra, Nicolas remembered. Tetra showed a little bit of compassion by gripping his hand, an oddity for her looks, but still well-received. Nicolas grinned a little, despite seeing the same sad look in Tetra's eyes.

"What happened?" Nicolas heard himself say. Apparently, the less active parts of his mind still wanted answers.

Before him, Link and Tetra shared a tentative look between them, both seeming hesitant to say anything. After a long, silent moment during which Nicolas got a little jittery, Link nodded slightly and turned back to Nicolas.

"Um, Nicolas? Back in the Second Forsaken Fortress, when Ganondorf tossed me over the railing and made to drop you…he cursed you…look at your wrist…"

Nicolas's gaze shifted ably to his left wrist, where he remembered Ganondorf had held him. A crude, ugly looking bracelet stared back at him, and he instantly made to try and tear it off. But unfortunately, it didn't even move a millimeter, and before Nicolas knew it, he was shedding tears.

"Nicolas?" Link asked gently as Nicolas cried.

"I'm going back there, aren't I?" He sobbed, wiping a few tears away.

"What are you talking about?" Tetra asked.

"Those…those tortures…that Link…puts me through…" Nicolas sobbed again.

"I still don't get it," Tetra said patiently.

"Me neither…then again, you're not out," Link suddenly said. Nicolas looked up and saw crimson eyes.

And he screamed, traumatized by the fact that this Link was right there. At the same time, the pain his past wounds had given him hit full-force, and he screamed louder, in response to the new pains. Link then grabbed his neck and flung him across the room and against the wall. Nicolas slid down, stunned, and his eyesight presented him with a new vision.

"Father! Help me!" He cried out, reaching for Chieftain Zano, who stood in the doorway. But the Chieftain didn't move. Neither did Tetra nearby, or the nurse. They just stood and watched as Link walked over to his body and kneeled down.

"I'm sorry, Nicolas, but you're stuck here…" He said mockingly, before lifting up the sword. Nicolas braced himself for the stab that he knew would be coming towards his midsection.

And then the sword went straight through his throat. Tears instantly spewed from his eyes and blood spurted from his mouth. He couldn't scream breath, or even move. Just watch as Link twisted the sword, causing unbearable pain as he looked on with malice in his eyes.

And then Nicolas saw everything fade into white. All his wounds quit causing him pain.

_It seems that an anti-curse spell is being woven. Temporary, but I have work to do anyway. Enjoy your little respite… _Nicolas heard a cackle in his head as feeling began to return to him. His closed eyelids began to show red through them and to his eyes.

"It's working!" He heard.

--

Link was incredibly relieved. They had quickly traversed the paths up to the palace, where Chieftain Zano had quickly arranged a room for Nicolas to be cared for in. He didn't have a clue that this was his own son. As he thought, Nicolas was unrecognizable without his tribal clothes. No one had probably ever seen his hair before.

Tetra had arranged for the island doctor, who resided in the palace, to check out Nicolas. Link had never seen an anti-curse spell, but it looked terribly complex to perform. And the doctor said that he couldn't cast it continuously to keep Nicolas with them. All that they could buy was time for Nicolas now. Link had given a silent curse for not having the ability to perform such a useful spell.

Now, Nicolas seemed to be stirring. Link thought he must have been incredibly tired, and so he had immediately gone to his side as someone whispered that it was working. Link peered intensely at Nicolas's eyes, wondering in those tense moments whether they could ever open again. He sighed in relief as Nicolas's eyes opened slowly.

And then Nicolas freaked out at the sight of Link.

"Get away! Please!" He yelled, kicking the sheets over Link and slipping off the bed before pushing himself against the wall. Link quickly pulled the sheets off of him and placed them on the bed, now concerned about Nicolas's well being.

"Nico! Calm down! It's okay," Link soothed, trying to get a little closer to Nicolas. However, he had to back up when Nicolas began to whimper and shield his eyes from Link. He looked a little pitiful, sitting there shirtless (Link had took it off when they arrived to let it dry). What had gotten into him?

"Nico, Ganondorf's placed a curse on you, but this is the real world. Whatever he's done to you, I promise it won't happen here…" Link continued.

"He d-didn't d-do it…." Nicolas trembled.

"Then who did?" Link asked, wondering who could do worse to him.

The next few moments would be memories of complete agony and sorrow for Link later in his life as Nicolas slowly raised his hand, pointing with his finger at him, his lip quivering as he did so.

"Y-you…"

A quiet moment passed in the room, but finally, Link sped out through the door.

"Link, wait!" Tetra yelled after him, but Link didn't listen. He didn't want her, of all people, to see him cry, even though there was no real reason not to. Link didn't even know why. Maybe their relationship was that tentative.

Link ran down hallways and up stairs, desperate to escape Tetra's running footsteps. For a while, it seemed like the resonated throughout the palace, and he ducked behind curtains and stumbled into other servant passageways. Gradually, they disappeared behind him somewhere.

He recognized this hall. He had been in it a few times. Link quickly ran to the end of the hallway and opened the door before walking into Nicolas's room. Nothing had changed; Zano would have kept it like this in the hopes that Nicolas would come home. It was actually perfect for Link. He immediately sat in the center of the room as tears finally began to leak from his eyes. Everything had finally gotten to him. Link was now very scared. Scared that his sagely friends were dead, scared that his relationship with Nicolas would never be the same, and scared that this time, Ganondorf might have actually figured out how to win. For once, the Hero of Winds felt overwhelmed.

His tears didn't lighten at all when he felt a pair of hands rest on his shoulders. Link knew Tetra would eventually find him sooner or later. It didn't really make a difference to him whether her presence was there or not.

"I'm guessing that's actually Nicolas and you're pretending he is Nico…" Tetra said. It was no question: She had easily seen through Link's gamble. She usually did, actually. Her ability to sense any misdoings headed towards her had backfired on him many times, usually when he tried to prank her back on her ship.

"Link…I'm so sorry…" Tetra whispered, before giving him a hug in a rare act of compassion. Links tears lightened a little at this; mainly because he was wondering what palace life was doing to Tetra. The thought sounded funny to him, but Tetra seemed to have changed. It, unfortunately, looked temporary though.

They stayed like that for a little while, Tetra hugging Link as he wept his eyes out, staining the ground with tears. Finally though, he sniffled a final time and began to stand.

"Thank you…"

"Don't mention it. Now come on. We might have a solid solution to Nicolas's curse, but it involves more traveling. Are you up for that challenge?" Tetra asked, giving him her trademark wink.

"Of course..." Link nodded.

"You sure? Tetra teased a little bit.

"You know I'm sure, you silly pirate," Link responded.

"There's the Link I know," Tetra smiled before beginning to lead them out of the room and back downstairs. As they left, Link closed the door. It was a metaphor: he had to close his relationship with Nicolas until he could break that curse.

Nicolas might have been scared of him now, but Link was still going to help. He had to. Otherwise, Link would never gain his companion's trust again…

--

NH3: Little bit of a shorter chapter to me, unfortunately, but school has started, so I'm not getting enough time to work on these stories nowadays. It sucks, I know. We all seem to be made to suffer like this. At least I like all my teachers so far ^^

Anyway, help me get to 50 reviews please, and don't be lazy about it and assume that someone selse will do it, because they'll be thinking the exact same thing and I won't get a review! Wahhhhhhhhh! Lol.


	17. The Curell Myth

NH3: I created a blog recently. The address is on my profile, for those of you who want to look at my chaotic life. You'll get a laugh, practically guarenteed

Also, I hit fifty reviews! Yay! I'm so happy this story is doing that well. I thank all who reviewed and all who read, cause it looks like they enjoy it too!

Anyway, here's the next chapter:

--

Chapter 17: The Curell Myth

"Curell?" Link asked, unfamiliar with the term. Tetra had led him to a library, where Chieftain Zano was. On the outside, he looked as strong as stone, but Link could see in his eyes that Zano was deeply troubled by Nicolas's absence. A bead of sweat traced its way down the back of his neck; Link didn't want to hurt Nicolas anymore than Nicolas thought he probably did, and so he was afraid he would let the secret slip.

"Yes, basically a cure-all plant, but the people who seemed to find it had a strange dialect. It's instead called Curell," Tetra explained, looking at a book on a table in between them. She had returned to a tougher demeanor, but Link still sensed a growing softness in her. She was currently smirking, probably at the thought of such a dialect.

"Seemed to find?" Link cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner.

"Well, that's part of the myth…" Tetra began, but Link quickly inturrupted her.

"Wait, wait. I'm sorry, but I can't go around chasing myths. I need more of a guarantee that I'll be able to find this plant," Link responded, crossing his arms. Tetra sighed.

"It's our only option. I've spoken with the King of Red Lions and he says that no one has ever gotten around to defeating this curse. Magic has advanced greatly since Ganondorf last used curses like this, but it remains a mostly unexplored art. We don't have a spell to purge the curse," Tetra argued. "Besides, according to the myth, I think you can find it."

Link sighed. No point in arguing. Might as well hear what Tetra had to say.

"Do you want to hear the myth or not?" Tetra asked, impatient with Link's still silence. Link nodded.

"Well, the myth details a small golden age for the island of Yoia. It says that a small group of settlers were fleeing from a large island beyond the fog, which was in the midst of civil war. The ship was full of wounded civilians, and to make matters worse, a storm suddenly hit the ship they were on, wounding the people even more. On the brink of death, they landed on Yoia, and found fields of a yellow-green, grass-like plant. They quickly brought some to the wounded on the ship to supply them with food, and upon eating it, their wounds and ailments seemed to be whisked away,"

"Interesting…" Link commented, leaning forward.

"Very. The people, after recovering, settled on the island, all health problems—even old age—being cured by this plant, which they named Curell. Years afterward, however, their economy wasn't doing so well, and they got greedy in their effort to prevent turmoil for their own people's gain. They began to sell the plant instead of giving it away, and for outrageous prices as well. The Goddesses got mad that this gift was now being abused, and so a great wind befell the island one day, tearing the Curell out of the ground and blowing it away. It would soon be discovered that only those who had true need of it could find the plant," Tetra finished.

"So what makes you think I'll be able to find this plant?" Link asked.

"Well, your drive to aid justice and help others is so strong that you can't really go against it. Despite Nico's…outburst…you still feel an absolute need to help him. I think only you can follow the trail leading to the Curell," Tetra said, smirking. Link was a little surprised by Tetra's insight: she apparently knew more about him then he thought.

Link thought about it. Everything seemed lost already: they had no guaranteed way to cure Nicolas. But this path was shaping up to be the only hope. Link would do anything for his friend. Friends came first, not revenge, nor your enemies.

"I'll do it," Link said after a minute of silence passed by. Tetra smirked a little wider and Zano seemed to brighten a little.

"I want to leave after I talk to Nico more properly though…" Link said. Tetra's face turned serious. Zano's face got a little darker.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked carefully.

"I have to. If any part of reality can be retained in his brain, I want it to be that I would never hurt him. Maybe things would get better for Nico…" Link explained, a bit unsure himself, but shutting that part of his thought up.

Tetra looked at Link with a look that he took as utter disbelief. Finally, she shook her head.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do it. But since I'm not you, oh well…" she sighed and closed the fat book she had been reading from. Chieftain Zano walked forward.

"Allow me to take you back to his room," he said, passing Link as he turned. Link followed him out of the rooms and through the hallways.

"Link, I have a favor to ask you…" Zano suddenly spoke. Link knew what he was going to say, but he kept quiet.

"Would you…please keep an eye out for my boy, Nicolas? I worry about him day and night and pray he is alright. I regret ever dumping this stupid title on him…" Zano whispered, a tear leaking out of his cheek. Link felt torn between telling him and not telling him. Either way wasn't exactly a golden act of kindness…

"I'll look for him…" Link lied, beginning to hate this tangle of deceit he was weaving. This went against everything he believed in. But friendship always made exceptions, both fortunate and unfortunate.

"Thank you," Zano said, before stopping next to a door. "He is in here."

"Thank you," Link said, before opening the door and walking in.

Nicolas had returned into the bed, but Link saw that his every look was wary, like he was waiting for something to happen. His eyes narrowed when he saw Link.

"Back to stab me, I suppose," he growled. Link was taken aback, not by the comment, but by the thought of whatever Ganondorf might have tortured his friend with. It already sounded awful.

"Do you really believe I would stab you with this sword?" Link asked, unshelthing his normal, plainsword and holding it up for his companion to see. Nicolas looked at it and his eyes relaxed slightly.

"Prove to me that this is not an illusion," Nicolas challenged. Link sighed.

"Nico…" Link said, walking up to the side of the bed. Nicolas shifted away from Link instinctively as he kneeled down. "…I don't know what he has done to you, but I assure you, I would never hurt you. No matter what he feeds to your brain, I would never…"

Nicolas stared at Link in the same tense position, contemplating his words. Link grew tense as he waited for whatever action Nicolas could throw at him. He prayed that he would believe him, that they had some chance to repairing their relationship.

And then, Nicolas suddenly reached over and hugged Link, crying into his shoulder and catching him by surprise. Link quickly hugged him back.

"Link! Link, I'm so sorry…" He sobbed into his shoulder. Link could only remain there as Nicolas continuously muttered apologies into his shoulder. Link felt regretful that Nicolas had to go back to whatever nightmares he had to face. He wished he could be there, helping him through it. Link silently cursed Ganondorf for making it like this.

"I have to go back, don't I?" Nicolas asked after he had recovered and relinquished his hug, returning to the bed. Link bit his lip and nodded.

"…can we…the curse…break…?" Nicolas stuttered, his mouth gaping at this realization, in fear and shock. Link gripped his hand.

"Yes, Nicolas. We have a plan. I will break the curse…" Link promised, squeezing his hand tightly, also glad no one had been around to hear him speak his companion's true name. Nicolas squeezed Link's hand in response.

"I'm getting sleepy again…" Nicolas muttered, his eyes drooping a little. Link paled; Ganondorf was already going to torture Nicolas again? Where was the doctor? Link turned to call him in, but a nurse walked in before he could.

"Oh dear, this is not good. The doctor has to rest. He used too much energy to help Nico," the nurse said, rushing to their sides. Link squeezed Nicolas's hand even tighter.

"Nico, you have to remember that I will never harm you. I won't!" Link cried out. Nicolas nodded as his eyes closed even farther.

"Keep my…mirror close…" he murmured slowly, before he fell back into his deep sleep. Link could only watch as Nicolas's breathing slowed and seemed to stop altogether as he succumbed to the curse.

"Damn it!" Link yelled, kicking a nearby nightstand with some magical and professional tools for the doctor. The tools scattered to the ground as the nightstand rolled on its legs and smashed into pieces against the wall. The nurse nearby winced as Link took deep breaths to calm himself down

After several moments, Link turned and walked to where Nicolas's bag lay against the wall. He picked it up and reached inside, rummaging around Nicolas's own possessions for his target. Finally, his hand gripping the small Pocket Mirror and he lifted it up, leaving the pack and walking back over to Nicolas's still body. Link sighed before carefully slipping the Pocket Mirror underneath the pillow, just so that he could find it when he woke.

Link sighed as he began to walk out, but as a second thought, Link turned back to the pack reaching inside and pulling out the Current Caller. At least Nicolas was safe, but leaving him behind to find the cure seemed awful to him. At the very least, he could watch over the Current Caller, keeping it on his person so no one took it.

As he left, Link had to tell himself that this would be better for everyone, and so he walked out of the room, passing by Zano as he walked. The Chieftain didn't say anything as Link moved by, just watching him go.

Link continued to walk through the palace, quickly coming to the throne room and exiting through the main doors. The weather had gotten sunny while he was inside the palace. The curse on the Eastern Sea had been broken. Link sighed, wishing that it was Nicolas's curse that had gone away and not the rain and wind as he began the long trek through the caverns and mountainsides of Dagger Cliffs.

After the long journey kept quiet between him and himself, Link finally arrived at the tiny docks, where the King of Red Lions waited.

"Tetra has filled me in on everything," the boat said as Link quietly got in and opened his charts. "May I ask where we are going?"

Link looked back at the turned head with seemingly cold eyes. But a drive inside his eyes was somewhat discernable. He was going to succeed. He knew it…

"To Yoia." He muttered as he took out the Wind Waker and conducted the Wind's Requiem and waved it east.

--

NH3: Another chapter done. Yeah, I know they seem to be getting somewhat shorter, but I'm keeping to my 2,000 word per chapter quota. Don't worry.


	18. Release

NH3: I'm back, badass, and in business (stolen from saq78642)!

Anyway, point is, I've kept you people waiting for far too long, almost like a new season of Lost (lol). But whatever, let's get to work.

--

Chapter 18: Release

Nicolas floated in a sea of white, the blinding view unbroken in every direction. He had to squint to keep his pupils even a little unblocked, but he knew he couldn't stop. He had to be ready for whatever Ganondorf might throw at him next.

Yes, he had retained the memory of Link promising him no true harm from him. No, he was not ready for the second act. Hell, his floating here was a part of Ganondorf's mind, and Nicolas had no clue what his plan was. All torture methods used had been beyond Nicolas's scope of common sense, so this was no different.

And then suddenly, Nicolas was thrust to his knees and hands as the light began to dim and form coherent shapes. Around him, light shined upon a bed he was on…the hospital bed! It was too good to be true! This had to be a trick...

"Nico! We did it!" Link yelled excitedly from beside him as he jumped up and down. "Don't worry, you're in reality."

"No…I'm not…" Nicolas growled as he clenched his fists. He felt anger surging up in him, anger that Ganondorf was casting such evil upon his mortal body. Tears of fury began to desecrate his eyes as Link leaned in close to him.

"Don't you remember that Link using your full name?" Link whispered. "I can't do that right now…"

Indeed, Nicolas looked up and saw Chieftain Zano in the doorway. All became clear; this was reality! He was safe, and he remembered nothing of his dreams! Thank the Goddesses for this blessing! Nicolas instantly made to hug Link, who grinned at him as he did so. Nearby, he saw Tetra doing the same, and his father smiling at the sight. The nurse and doctor were chatting in the corner about such and such, but Nicolas didn't care. It was over!

"Here," Tetra said, holding out his bag. "Your shirt is inside."

Nicolas quickly grabbed it and rummaged inside, feeling for his shirt. Gripping it, he pulled it out and slipped it on, appreciating the simple warmth of not being half naked. He then pulled out his retracted staff and roped it onto his back. His mistake was immediately realized when he heard a gasp.

"That staff…" His father muttered, before holding out his hand. "Let me see it."

Nicolas fought an inward battle with himself over whether he should really give it to his father. If he didn't, maybe he could keep the lie up. But it was entirely possible that he had already blown it. And Zano was his father, so it wasn't like he could say no without any guilt.

Or could he? He left without too much guilt. Maybe he could keep this up…no, he couldn't. It was his father, and his father had been worried sick. He could still leave after all of this, but not without his father's closure of what fate had befallen Nicolas. So Nicolas drew the spear from his back and began to hold it out. Zano walked forward and swiped it from his hands, immediately examining.

"You're Nicolas…"

"Yeah, Dad…" Nicolas responded, hanging his head in shame.

"…"

_Say something…_ Nicolas thought desperately. Every moment felt all the more agonizing, all the more frightening, all the more—

This wasn't right.

"Thief!" Zano yelled, and Nicolas's head snapped back up, searching for the swing heading towards him in blind confusion. But Zano wasn't looking at him; he was looking to the side, posed to throw the blade at Link.

"No!" Nicolas cried out, rushing forward and using his father's calf to propel himself up and grab the spear-bearing arm.

"Let go!" Zano commanded, and Nicolas almost did. But the life of his friend was just as precious as his own, and his own father hadn't been there for him, ever. No choice as to his priorities there, so Nicolas offered a few jabs to the closed hand. Zano immediately dropped the retracted spear, his nerves stricken numb, and Nicolas let go, rolling on the floor as he caught it. He was in full adrenaline mode; no action was his.

"You disobedient—ugh!" Nicolas silenced his accusation, to his own shock. He hadn't meant to do that! He didn't want to do that, but the damage was done.

_No! Dad!_ Nicolas watched unmercifully as Zano collapsed to his knees before tilting backwards, a brand new hole in his chest. He grinned evilly as he held up his blade, admiring his messy handiwork. And then, Nicolas began to lick the blood off.

_What's happening?! __No, no, no, no, no!_ Inside his mind, Nicolas was sealed away, separate from his body. And all he could do was stare at his actions, and believe himself to be the monstrosity he now was.

Nicolas's body stared down at his motionless father, staring at the lifeless eyes. They held hatred, malice, rage—and a quick glance in the mirror showed the same traits inherited upon Nicolas's own face. He roared and began to slash apart the body of his father.

And inside his mind, Nicolas felt darkness creeping into his normal thought. What was happening? He couldn't possibly do such a thing—yet here he was doing it. Was this him?

"Nicolas!" He heard, and he turned his head. Link and Tetra stood side-by-side, holding out their respective weapons as they silently challenged their corrupt companion. Fools! Nicolas charged and in a moment, Tetra's lifeless body was sliding off of his extended spear.

"You bastard!" Link yelled, beginning to charge Nicolas. He easily blocked and twirled his spear, pushing Link away as he backed up himself. Link stepped forward and gave a low slash, but Nicolas jumped into the air, spear in traditional stabbing motion as the blade went straight through Link's heart.

The moment they hit the ground, Nicolas was already in complete tears. Blood was everywhere—the blood of his friends, his family. He couldn't do this, but he just did!

Link had said he would never hurt Nicolas. But now, Nicolas didn't even know if he could do the same.

_This is a nightmare…_ Nicolas thought before forcefully turning the blade on himself. And then his hands were out of his control. The spear soared through his midsection, and Nicolas screamed, every past pain of his dreams blasting him into shock.

--

"What's happening?!" Tetra demanded an answer as Nicolas's cursed body thrashed about on the bed. Dark wisps crept up from beneath his clothes.

"I don't know! The curse must be extending out of Nico for some reason!" The nurse said as she did her best to hold Nicolas down. If she didn't, he would bleed out otherwise, due to an inability to care. But her efforts were futile: Nicolas's spasms were far too much to handle. Neither one of them saw the darkness gathering itself on the floor beyond the bed.

"He has to stop! Otherwise…" Tetra began, but she trailed off as she noticed the darkness, now gathering height to its cloud. The nurse noticed it too, and instinctively backed away, allowing Nicolas's body to chaotically move. Both watched as the black and purple wisps began to swirl in a silent, unfelt storm of wind and take on a new shape. One that instantly resembled Nicolas's figure.

"What the hell…?" Tetra whispered.

And then it screamed, and Tetra became paralyzed with fear. Whatever manifestation Ganondorf had woven from Nicolas's body, it sounded like a ReDead. Next to her, she felt the nurse shivering as well. Tetra felt sympathetic; after all, it wasn't everyday that your patient and/or friend had its dark form produced right in front of your eyes.

"What on earth is happening here?" Zano stood in the doorway, his legs slightly parted as he stared at the darkness.

Dark Nicolas simply looked at him with purple eyes, drew his spear, and ran forward and past him, cutting a huge gash in his side as he did. Zano grunted in pain and went down to his knees, gripping his side as blood began to darken the red outfit he wore. The nurse went to his side as Nicolas's body quit moving again.

"Take care of him!" Tetra said as she ran forward and flipped over Zano, giving chase to Dark Nicolas. He hadn't gotten very far ahead, and Tetra knew he was heading out through the throne room. She was sure of it, and her suspicions came true as she emerged in the same room and caught a glimpse of her enemy slipping through the doors. She immediately flew forward, whipping the door aside as she saw Dark Nicolas run through the houses ahead. Giving mindless chase, Tetra kept up, but fruitlessly; at the end of the village was a cliff, and the black and purple person jumped right over it.

Tetra slid to a stop and watched as Dark Nicolas hit the surface of the water, but instead of going in, landed like it was moving rock. He effortlessly began to run in an eastern direction.

"Damn it…" She whispered, before turning to run back inside. _I need to warn Link!_

--

Link quickly pulled down the sail as he looked at his Current Chart.

"What's wrong?" The King of Red Lions asked, turning his head to look.

"The current ends in this sector, and we still have one more to go before Yoia…" He responded, rummaging through his supplies. He had foretold this possible problem, but Nicolas had thought about Dagger Cliffs. Unfortunately, he had not thought about Yoia. It didn't even need their attention until this new development plagued Nicolas's mind and Link's urgent attention.

"Any ideas?" Link asked King.

"You might as well try to use the Current Caller," He replied, and Link pulled it out of the bag.

"I'm two steps ahead of you..." Link muttered as he tried to remember the movements Nicolas made. It was a lot easier for the Wind Waker; when he needed the wind, it was a three-note song. The Current Canticle was six notes long instead.

Tapping his foot, Link closed his eyes and swung the baton around, hoping his visual memory would serve him well. As he conducted the melody, Link heard the giant chorus in his head singing prettily. Did that mean it was working?

Link was quickly met with an answer as a map of the Eastern Sea suddenly popped up inside his eyelids. Waving the baton around, he formed an all new current to take him straight to Yoia, and then to Dagger Cliffs. The latter current would probably serve useless though, as Link knew that Curell probably didn't remain on the island.

"Got it!" Link cheered as he put the Current Caller away. "But I wonder how I did so without his consent…"

"I think you might have had his consent all along. There was nothing saying that you had to know about it," The boat offered his thoughts.

"I think you're right," Link said as he pulled the sail back up and they began to sail east again.

_Hold on, Nicolas. I will save you…_ Link thought in determination.

--

NH3: Alright, I should probably tell you that I'm writing a sci-fi novel, so I have to balance school, swimming, homework, and this fan fiction along with that. Progress will be inevitably slow…


	19. Lies

NH3: Yay, another chapter done! Oh, and many thanks to TheFinalCountdown for drawing my character. I found it really cool and very sweet ^^

Onwards!

--

Chapter 19: Lies

"AH!" The scream pierced Nicolas's soul, just like all the others before it. It rung out into the endless darkness around them, broken only by their magically illuminated bodies. He wanted to stop, had to stop!

But it wouldn't let him.

Before his sight lay a battered, bruised Link, hanging from a vaguely familiar beam of wood overhead. His tunic was completely torn up and tattered on his weakened form, his hat abandoned on the ground. Through it, deep, crimson-red blood dripped onto the floor, and his clothes were stained a muddy, khaki-brown. His hair had been coated in blood as well.

And Nicolas had done all of this to him! The blood was coating his blade, held in front of his mouth to satisfy the literal bloodlust. He was thirsty, but Nicolas would have rather died than drink such a liquid.

If that was so, then why was he doing it?

In front of him, Link retched and threw up his stomach contents, probably from the pain and the revolting sight of Nicolas licking his blood off his spear. There were tears leaking down his face, a sign of how much courage he truly had. Cowards would be holding it in; Link let it all flow out. And Nicolas wanted so badly to go up to him, to comfort him, make him better. Satisfy all debts between them. But that wasn't going to happen…

With a menacing chuckle, Nicolas swung his blade again, eliciting another scream from Link as twin streams of blood began to drip down the front of his calves. And then again, and again, each one on the same body parts, each one bringing forth more yells of pain and suffering as Link's calves were coated in blood.

Deadly and unmerciful in his form, Nicolas's body walked forward to the limp Link, the distance shrinking to mere inches between their bodies. The Hero of Winds struggling to raise his weary, glassy eyes. His lip quivered not from fear, but in pain. Neither one moved for a while, and Nicolas, on the inside, silently prayed and urged Link to kick him and snap him out of it. Unfortunately, he had already slashed Link's legs to hell.

"…Nicolas…"

_No…_ Nicolas thought inside, all his hope fading. His identity had been stolen. He no longer was kind and caring to Link; now, he was evil and harmful.

"I thought…you…you…were my…my…my friend…" Link slowly whispered. Nicolas's mind was already being ripped to shreds as his mouth began to issue a reply to those wheezing words.

"You're going to die here," He stated bluntly, stealing Nicolas's voice as well. Nicolas couldn't take it anymore! He didn't want to have the blood of his friend on his hands, nor the guilt of the act on his mind. He wanted to scream, and he did, very loudly. But no one can be heard in their own mind except themselves.

Nicolas, with one clean twirl of his spear, cut the bindings on the wooden beam, and Link dropped down and to all fours. He gasped and screamed from the sharp, shooting sting of his skinless claves meeting bare ground. It would have cut into Nicolas's heart if he still believed he had one.

In front of him, Link threw up as Nicolas began to lick blood again. Enjoying his little snack, Nicolas casually moved forward and kicked Link in the gut. Link wheezed, searching for his wind as he rolled onto his back. Nicolas began to refuse a privilege by raising his spear above him in a sacrificial manner.

"Please…" Link wheezed, still clutching his hands at his side for the sweet, sweet air.

Nicolas quickly stabbed Link in the midsection via one clean stab. Link screamed, just as Nicolas once had, but endlessly. Nicolas only furthered the pain by twisting and digging the blade deeper.

And in one great wave of conscience, Nicolas was returned control of his body, and tears immediately spewed from his eyes as Link screamed on and on.

Nicolas would cry on and on if that was what it meant…

--

"Link!" The King of Red Lions called out. Link winced as he got up, rubbing his sore back. He had been trying to take a nap, but he just couldn't sleep. He was too worried and overly stressed about Nicolas. The boat's deck seemed rougher than usual today.

"Mm?" Link hummed a reply, certain that the boat could hear it over the calm waves.

"We're approaching Yoia," King told him. Link quickly leaned a little over the side of the boat to see past the boat's forward bow sculpture.

Link had a small bout of homesickness when he saw the island, of which the appearance was very reminiscing of Outset. However, the island was one big one instead of two, bridge-connected isles. It also wasn't even close to the height that Outset had accomplished. But the huts on the beach and further in were certainly similar. Before Link could reflect on the appearance of the island even more, though, the familiar face of the King of Red Lions swerved into his sight.

"Are you alright?" He asked, being only slightly stern. Link nodded but still gave a great sigh.

"It reminds me of home," He admitted swiftly. King offered him a smile.

"Don't worry, we'll make a stop soon," He soothed, and Link smiled a little before getting all serious again.

"Yeah, well let's hope that Nicolas can come see it with us," Link said as he changed moods. "We're coming up on shore."

"I don't see any docks," The boat noted, and Link settled for steering the boat towards the nearest beach.

"Oh well…" Link muttered as he took down the sail. The boat began to slow as they made their final approach to the island, until it finally beached itself in a gentle manner. Link quickly jumped into the water, kicking up water with his boots as he landed and made his way to dry land.

"Hey!" Link jumped in surprise and looked around wildly before steadying himself and sighing. It was only the charm resonating in his pocket. Tetra loved to surprise him by yelling through it, and often did so when he worked on her ship. She used it the most when he was sleepy.

Link reached into his pocket and pulled out the Pirate's Charm, which floated above his hand as the connection was made.

"Yes?" Link gritted his teeth.

"Finally, a breakthrough! I've been trying to get through to you, but a dark spell has been blocking me," Tetra immediately rushed into the purpose of her communication. Link could easily sense the urgency in her voice.

"Calm down, Tetra, and tell me what happened?" Link said, interrupting Tetra in the middle of her frantic words.

"A lot of shit, okay! Basically, Ganondorf has extended his power through Nicolas," Tetra yelled, exasperated. Link paled. Did this mean that Dagger Cliffs was having its own curse being woven as they spoke?

"He can't do anything catastrophic, like destroy the island, but he has manifested something in Nicolas's image," Link heard Tetra take a deep breath through the stone. "Zelda says it is a being known as Dark Nicolas, and that once, a Dark Hero had been created as well. While their origins are different, both have set goals. Ganondorf commanded the very first one to kill the Hero of Time upon his trespass into a temple, which failed because they were too evenly matched…Dark Nicolas has been commanded to kill you and Zano."

"Is Zano alright?" Link asked in urgency.

"No. Zano got right in the way. He's currently unconscious, and we don't know if he'll make it." Tetra replied.

"Damn it…" Link muttered.

"Wow, I don't hear you swear that often," Link could practically see an image of Tetra smirking at him as he paced in front of the King of Red Lions.

"I'm under a lot of stress," Link did hope that Tetra saw him glaring.

"I know. But back to the original purpose of my message, Dark Nicolas is on the move and after you."

"…"

"Link?"

"…Thanks for the heads up," Link finally replied before putting the Pirate's Charm away.

"Be careful…" Tetra issued a couple of words through the stone before her voice finally echoed away. Link's mind was a storm though, so he didn't really notice.

Nicolas's condition was undoubtedly worsening. If Ganondorf was using the prince's body as a channel for his power, their situation had just gotten a lot worse. Their enemy was practically behind their lines!

And what was going on with Tetra? Whenever Link usually saw, communicated, or did anything with her, Tetra tended to keep her personality separate from the personality of the Zelda inside her. Sure, they were the same person, but Tetra and Zelda had subtle differences. And if they were communicating, then Tetra was having emotional problems of her own. That…or something else…

Finally, Link felt heartbroken about Zano's newly assigned state of well-being, especially about how it might affect Nicolas if—when he woke up. Nicolas had entered into a world of nightmares, but at least they weren't real (or at least they weren't the actual cause of his continuous injuries). Reality could be scarier at times, and if Link was in Nicolas's shoes, he would be shattered upon hearing the news.

"Link, we don't have much time. Quickly go and find out anything you can about the Curell," The King of Red Lions snapped Link out of his stupor, and with a nod, Link began to run towards the nearest shacks, kicking up sand behind him and leaving muddy footprints. The sand quickly faded into grass underneath his feet as he approached.

These shacks were, however, private residences. And Link was mostly courteous, knocking first, entering only upon any sign of invitation—screw it, his friends were in trouble! Link rushed up to the first one and banged his fist on the door, eagerly waiting for an answer. But no answer came. No one was home! What a waste of precious little time…

Link then tried the second house in much the same manner, but no one was there either. How could two houses so close together have no one inside?! Link felt impatience grow in him as he rushed to the next house, which was a little farther down. Upon reaching this house, the simple knock Link offered (after finally regaining a little bit of patience from his burdened mind) swung the door open before him.

The house was deserted.

"Oh no…" Link thought out loud in desperation. Moving to the neighboring house, Link jumped up and got a glimpse of empty rooms through the high-up window. The next house confirmed his discovery, and he now stood in the middle of town. He was accompanied by the still silence, broken only by the haunted wind.

Yoia was a ghost town.

No! Link's efforts couldn't be in vain! He had to begin searching for clues. Maybe no one was here, but the Curell could still be found. All Link needed was time. How annoying it was that he had so little of it though.

"Ahoy there!" Link's head snapped over towards a path heading upwards and to the small woods up on top of the island. Coming down it was a bony, old man. His clothing was shockingly grand in design and color, and he leaned his frail figure on a cane, which blended in more with the natural surroundings. Link quickly walked up towards him, covering the distance in mere seconds.

"Do you know anything about the Curell?!" Link asked rapidly. The old man shook his head.

"Son, people have come to this island many times, following the prospect of Curell. It is practically my solemn duty to tell them that nowhere in Yoia's history is anything logged about this Curell. What you have come seeking is, I believe, simply a myth."

Link stared at the old man in disbelief, wondering what he could possibly do now. Nicolas needed his help, but Link could provide no aid! He had failed him…

And at that point, Link's eyes heavily drooped as he began to sway. When he thought about it, he hadn't slept in…maybe two days? And in the wake of everything that had happened, Link collapsed to the ground and fainted.

_I'm sorry Nicolas…I'm so sorry…_ Link thought hazily before his mind swirled into a blank grey. The only sounds that resonated within his head were those apologetic words of despair, over and over and over and over…

--

NH3: Damn, Link pretty much overdid it right there, huh? Now to follow is a completely pointless suspense line:

Will Link find another way to break Nicolas's curse? Or will Nicolas fall ever deeper into his nightmares until he is a servant of Ganondorf in every right? Stay tuned…

Anyway…R&R (no, not rest and recover, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!! Lol)


	20. Confrontation

NH3: I…am SO BACK! And my God, it feels good to write fanfictions. I mean, I've been away for quite a while, writing a novel among other things, but there is a security in writing a story about a world that you wish to inhabit, and be a part of, when it wasn't created by you. So now, the continuation! (And forgive me if I don't instantly resume the style of this story. It's been over seven months .)

* * *

Chapter 20: Confrontation

The next time Link awoke, it was to a wooden roof and an intoxicating smell. Yet in his hazy sight, it was only the smell that he could actively recognize through his fatigue. And by the Goddesses, he hadn't sensed anything so good in such a long time.

The aroma overpowered Link as his numbingly sat up, the blanket he was enshrouded in falling away to his lap. Nothing of his appeared to have changed: he still wore his travel clothes and all. But where was he? Link couldn't recall much in his stupor, so he slid his legs beneath the blanket, and allowed them to fall to the floor as he looked around.

He was in a room, and it was bare. None of it helped to determining his location, beyond the fact that he was in an empty bedroom. There wasn't even a desk to be found anywhere, and if a nightstand was really a requirement, then forget it. Link did, however, began to understand the melodies of seagulls behind him, and a slight sea breeze coated with the smell of salt. But the grand smell that had truly woken Link up was still the most noticeable thing in the room. It was as if it needed to escape into the world, and the window was the only way out.

Link glanced backwards, and he was met with the roofs of houses spread before him, all with the same wooden styling, and all reminiscent of his home island of Outset. He turned back and finally recognized the door in the far corner. Well, Link was up, so there was no reason to stay.

The Hero of Winds stood up, but only to grip his side as it emitted a dull throbbing pain. It hadn't actually been that painful, but it was surprising. Link decided that he must've hit it on the way down.

And then he remembered everything! So much for those moments of eternal bliss. He could no longer care about the smell that he couldn't place, or even where he might be. He needed to find something else to help Nicolas. The Curell was a myth, but Link was reasonably certain that not all hope was lost.

He hoped.

The realization was a shot of caffeine straight into his heart. Instantly, he was walking towards the door, firm in his path. But before he could walk beyond the gateway, someone got in his way.

"Whoa, there, child!" The old man from before exclaimed, balancing a tray above Link's head as he stumbled between his good leg, his bad leg, and his cane. Before he could drop it, though, Link grabbed ahold of it and retreated backwards, allowing his caretaker to regain some stability. Once he did, he was free to talk, despite the urgency Link seemed stricken with. "No need to rush out so quickly. At the very least, eat something."

"I'm sorry, sir," Link began politely, as usual, "But I just don't have the time to—"

Link stopped, and stared down. The aroma had completely derailed his train of thought. It was almost like a drug, and the funny part was that Link could not determine where he had smelled the scent. But he could—and did—discover where the odor was erupting from: a yellow soup, placed in a bowl with a spoon alongside some orange colored liquid—most likely tangerine juice.

"At the very least, eat in the kitchen," The old man scolded like a father, and Link finally took a moment to look him over with a proper eye.

The old man was not exactly the bony man Link had first seen. He did have some muscle to him, but he was very slender, so they weren't as pronounced. He was still wearing the same type of outfit as before, although whether it was the same exact one or just another pair of the same design, Link wasn't sure. The man also had a beard and a small pair of glasses, which was a fair contrast to his bald head.

Link was about to politely decline the food and signal his urgency, but his stomach chose that exact moment to growl at him. And unlike most old men, this one had sharp ears. Before Link knew it, his shoulder was grabbed and he was being forcibly led away from the room. The next moment, he was sitting at a counter, and the breakfast was laid out in front of him as the old man sat nearby and began to write something.

"Um, sir, I'm sorry, but I didn't even get your name…" Link decided that at the moment, all he could do was roll with the situation.

"Louis." He replied, not even looking up. He seemed so absolutely engrossed in his work that Link left him alone and proceeded to give the soup a taste test.

And the taste was so obvious, the smell so familiar that Link couldn't understand why he hadn't been able to place it before. Maybe because it seemed like such an impossibility. But someone else, in the entire world, could have figured out the same recipe. Considering the size and scope of the world, it didn't seem so impossible.

But it was true: Link was eating Elixir Soup, and he knew that he wasn't escaping now. He began to scarf it down, all manners forgotten. This place was nostalgic, and however short his visit may be, he was going to soak in the illusion as much as he could.

Of course, the soup practically vanished, followed by the disappearance of the orange juice, and Link was soon ready to go. All the worries were reasserting themselves, finding their priorities and reapplying themselves.

"Your things are by the door," Louis suddenly spoke up. Link glanced at him to find that the old man was still writing.

"Thank you…" Link hesitantly said. And with that, he bolted out the door, scooping up his bag, his sword, and his shield. It had only been a pit stop—he was heading back to work, specifically to find another way to help Nicolas.

Link rushed through town, searching out the sea as he headed downhill. Eventually, he arrived, and discovered that the King of Red Lions had drifted from where he had last left it. Thankfully, it was only twenty feet or so down beach—not a problem.

"Where have you been?" The boat asked, staring at him.

"Sleeping…I, ah, fainted…" Link admitted, feeling embarrassed. King sighed.

"Next time, just sleep while we sail. I can warn you if something is about to attack, or if we're almost there, or if we're heading the wrong way," He advised. "You slept for a good night…" Link nodded a response, dazed. King continued: "Did you find anything regarding the Curell?"

"No…it was just a myth…" Link growled, reaching into his pocket. He needed to contact Tetra.

"Link…I am sorry…" King whispered as the aforementioned person pulled out the Pirate's Charm.

"Tetra?" Link queried. A moment passed.

"I'm here," Tetra said it cautiously. Link's voice had given his air away.

"The Curell is a myth…a man on the island said so."

"No…damn it, I was so sure—Zelda was so sure—I mean—"

Link didn't hear the rest of her ramble, for he violently clenched the Pirate's Charm and hurled it towards the ground, yelling in fury. It collided, and resumed its operation by floating above the ground as Link spun away.

"…Link?" Tetra's voice said hesitantly.

"It's not fair." Link muttered, tears beginning to flow from his eyes as he stared out to open sea. "Nicolas never deserved to suffer, and no one deserves to die."

"I know, Link. I'm sorry," Tetra replied soothing, almost as if she was right beside Link, ready to hug him when he would absolutely need it.

"Everything's falling apart…" Link fell to his knees, which splashed the water as a tiny wave came ashore to cushion the landing. His hands squeezed inward, resting atop his lap. There was no backup plan, no hope. Tetra certainly wasn't offering it.

"Tetra?" Link asked after catching his breath. Silence answered him, and he turned to find that the Pirate's Charm now rested on the sand. He stood, feeling shaky, and walking over to pick it up.

"What the hell…Tetra?" Link tried to establish contact, but nothing happened.

And behind him, lightning suddenly clashed in the sky, and he whirled around to face a gigantic storm that hadn't been there a few moments before. Dark magic at work, without a doubt. Link looked over the shaky seas and suddenly saw an abnormality—a dark purple spot on the bluish-grey sea.

"Oh, shit…" Link swore to himself.

Dark Nicolas was almost here…

* * *

"Nicolas…"

_Oh…oh, by the Goddesses, Link! _Nicolas thought in the surrounding blackness that had become customary. Far ahead of him, Link lay upon the ground, unmoving, but still alive. The urgency took over—Nicolas was running, desperate to help Link.

"Link!" Link tried to look up at Nicolas's figure, but every single movement was pained. "Don't move, Link! I'm coming!"

It seemed to take forever, but eventually, Nicolas reached the figure and knelt down beside it. Instantly, he gasped—Link had a hole in his stomach, bloody as hell. He could hardly move without pain, and at this rate, Link was going to bleed out unless Nicolas did something.

"Hold on, Link, I might have something to wrap this up, or heal this, or…something!" Nicolas voiced desperately, setting his bag in between him and Link so he could rummage through it.

"Hurry…" Link wheezed, forcing Nicolas's heart to race. He began to feel around inside the bag, but soon enough, something sharp cut his finger.

"Ow!" Nicolas cried out, peering in. His eyes widened at what he found.

Carefully, he pulled out what looked like a mace. Nicolas was stunned, but he tossed it aside.

But it only got worse. Next was a knife, followed by the blade of a guillotine, followed by a branding iron. Then there was the rope, and the short sword, and…

"By the Goddesses…" Nicolas's mouth trembled at the sight of a huge, spiked whip, meant for inflicting pain, and nothing else. Everything in the bag was an instrument of torture. How had they gotten there, Nicolas didn't know. But it was already trickling into his mind that he had put them there, because he was a monster.

"No…" He moaned, deciding to try and rip apart the bag, and convert it into bandages—or anything to hold Link together so that he could be taken somewhere safe and better supplied. But to his horror, the bag collapsed into firm netting, meant for capturing prisoners. And inside were so many instruments of torture, meant for nothing else. They were completely indescribable, meant for the devil's work, and Nicolas knew what every single one of them was meant to do. Why did he know? Why did he have to know?

"Link, just hold on," Nicolas whispered, tears flooding his eyes and threatening to spill onto his cheeks.

"Nicolas…what is that…what did you bring…" Link tried to ask the questions, but with one, final wheeze, breath exited his mouth for the very last time. Just like that.

"Link? Link? Link!" Nicolas screamed, tear streaming down his face. He instantly cradled the limp Link in his arms, the blood of his friend staining his clothes, his skin, and his soul. All Nicolas could murmur into the strands of blond hair was Link's name, over and over and over again. He didn't want to believe it, and didn't want it to be true, but of course it was real. The very air seemed to get colder as Nicolas trembled, and his teeth began to chatter. His entire body was lonely, for it had been robbed of the one true friend he had ever had.

And Nicolas couldn't help him…

"No…No…NO!" Nicolas screeched, his voice reaching a pain that would've made anyone shiver, almost like if they were in the presence of a ReDead. Sobbing, crying, trembling—those traits suddenly described his world in its entirety. And they wouldn't dissipate. Nicolas was responsible for his death—and that would never, ever go away…

And then Link's eyes snapped open—and they were the red of the enemy.

"Thank you…" He grinned, before standing up like nothing had happened. Nicolas couldn't believe it. Not only had he let his best friend die, but Link had become something evil because of him.

And this evil Link was walking away. He walked away, but after a bit, when he had reached a small distance, he turned around to face Nicolas. Nicolas stood up, still shaky and unstable.

"Although I had to start the job myself, you were there to allow its completion," The enemy said.

And Nicolas's eyes widened. The bastard! He had killed Link, and left the blame and guilt to Nicolas. But now he was going to pay. Nicolas knew he wanted revenge, and embraced the anger within him as he drew his spear. This was his will, and his will only—he would banish the dark being from his mind, even if doing so would end up killing him…

* * *

It felt like a dream. A murky dream that was quickly becoming a nightmare. Link certainly awaited Dark Nicolas, even as a stunning layer of rain began to pour down, chilling his blood until every single one of his senses was heightened. But his adversary had been on his knees, on the surface of the sea some distance away, for some time. But he had just stood, and was staring directly at Link.

And suddenly, the duel began, when Dark Nicolas drew his spear, his accented eyes of red glaring at Link like he had committed some sort of heinous crime. And then came the charge, lightning fast as Dark Nicolas sprinted upon the sea.

Link blocked with his shield. It was all he had time to do with the charge. But that was his advantage: Link had two extensions to count on: a weapon and protection. Dark Nicolas had only one for both. However, the enemy was faster, just like his good counterpart, and of course, his spear gave him a longer reach. And despite these balanced out advantages, Link soon found himself on the defensive as he backed up onto the beach, blocking and parrying every furious attack attempted. It was clear: this version of Nicolas fought with sheer anger, searching for revenge. Nothing could happen if Link didn't get smart.

So he got smart. Instead of playing the guardian, he played the thief, dodging instead of defending. And that gave him his opening. Link thrust inward, underneath a wide swing. Dark Nicolas jumped back, arching his body to ensure evasion. He had obviously been perturbed by the invasion of space. Link gained the offensive in that moment, and the battle turned into skillful shot after shot carefully waged on the enemy.

But then Dark Nicolas blocked, and played dirty, kicking up to smack Link in the face and send him flying back. He crashed into the muddy sand, squeezing his eyes in pain for a moment, and when he opened them, he twisted his head to the side, allowing the blade of the spear to implant itself in the sand as drops of rain invaded his eyes. And before Dark Nicolas could regain his weapon, Link pulled himself up along the slippery spear to slash at his adversary.

It worked. Dark Nicolas stumbled backward, harmed, as indicated by the unreal gash of red marring his chest. Link didn't have time anymore: he had to end it, so with a final lurch, he reached back and stabbed the final strike into the dark being's midsection.

Dark Nicolas screamed, like a ReDead, and left Link shivering as he held the sword in. And he was distracted, so Dark Nicolas got his revenge. He had never let go of his spear, so in one swift movement, he retracted it and rammed it into Link's midsection.

Now it was Link's turn to scream, and scream he did. It was nothing like a ReDead's scream, but his yell was enough to make one cry, for all the purity and good will in his soul contributed to this last effort of stamina.

Both figures faced off, in a standoff, with each weapon in their respective enemy. But both knew they had been defeated. At the same time, they stumbled away from each other, badly injured, and fell to the ground, finding themselves alongside each other. Neither one spoke. There was nothing to be said, even as Link watched his enemy close his eyes first, and felt his own sight beginning to flicker as the pain suddenly turned overwhelming.

But he suddenly strained to keep them open. Something miraculous was happening, and fortunately for Link, he could be certain that he would get to see it before he died. The storm above was lifting, and like petals falling away from a dying flower, layer of darkness were beginning to uproot themselves from the figure and disappear altogether. It was beautiful to watch, for the water sprinkling down from the heavens glittered, and it was even more relieving to see the pure hearted figure appear beneath the dark shell. Dark Nicolas was no more. And while Link couldn't look down to be sure, he was reasonably sure that the one, true Nicolas that was appearing before him would be fine. He was still unconscious, and it was still completely possible that both of them were fatally wounded, but they had been oddly blessed in this way.

The curse had been broken…

* * *

NH3: OMG I killed a night just writing this chapter. Anyway, R&R, I'm looking forward to them. And for those of you who just read and appreciate the story—BY GOD, GET AN ACCOUNT IF YOU MUST, JUST R&R! THIS IS CHAPTER 20, LOL.


	21. Changed

NH3: Yikes. Wow, I had such a piss day. The therapy required to get over it? Depending…this time it's fanfiction.

RANDOM DISCLAIMER: I do not own the word 'fuck' (although there are days where it sure seems like I do .)

* * *

Chapter 21: Changed

Link was surprised when he woke up again, partially because it was made of exactly the same senses as last time: Louis's roof and the smell of Elixir Soup cooking in the kitchen within the house. But it was also because he couldn't recall when he had fallen asleep, or quite exactly what had occurred to land him here. It was a lost memory for the moment, and it brought Link the guarantee of peace he frequently wished for all of time.

Then the memories rushed back, and his worries came to life. Flinging the covers off of him, he was surprised to see that, unlike last time, he was dressed in a bare of white, silky pajamas. His boots and his hat had also disappeared too. However, none of his things were in the room…just like last time.

Link sat up, his head turning left. It was nighttime now—the moon shone a beautiful crescent across the houses below, and through the window, Link saw the King of Red Lions on the beach. He seemed to be scanning the island, and when his eyes fell on Link, the boy's pocket began to vibrate.

The Hero of Winds pulled out the Pirate's Charm, grateful that someone had thought to put it there, and held it up as it began to float. Still seeking the sight of the boat, Link proceeded to answer.

"Yes?"

"Link! You're finally up!" The deep voice reverberated in Link's heart, which knew the worry King had been burdened with.

"I'm sorry, I was…unconscious, I think?"

"I'll bet! You were _stabbed_, Link!" Upon this, Link lifted his shirt, and this was guaranteed by the bandage that wrapped around his midsection. He guessed that no ready supply of Red Potions was available, considering they would have healed him right away.

"Oh. Right," Link murmured.

"You're just lucky that Louis came for you two and took you in!" The King of Red Lions continued his scolding. Link was enlightened now, but there were other concerns he needed to address:

"Wait, how do you know—never mind, I need to find Nicolas," Link decided, and the boat from afar seemed to recognize this, snapping his connection off. The boy turned away from the window and padded out of bed, heading straight for the door. Noting the presence of déjà vu, Link expressed caution when he made to walk through the door. However, the old man named Louis wasn't beyond it, so Link continued into the hallway and out the nearby end of it to emerge into the kitchen.

Louis and Nicolas were nowhere to be found, but a pot of Elixir Soup sat on the nearby wood stove, simmering. There were no flames alight underneath it, though, so it had probably just finished cooking. And Link was hungry, so he decided to, at the very least, grab a bowl and continue his search. Fortunately, an empty bowl was already on the counter, so he took that and, standing on his toes, carefully dipped the bowl and scooped up the liquid in an expertly fashion. He had done it many times, and like many times, he decided to abandon the use of a spoon, preferring instead to drink the Elixir Soup down.

When he finished, he put it next to the sink, careful not to make so much noise that someone would be disturbed, if they wanted peace and quiet.

"Link?"

The person-in-question whirled around at the whisper, and stared across the counter and into the living room. The room consisted of a couch, a table, and two comfortable armchairs, side-by-side in the corner. And in the left one was none other than Nicolas.

It was vaguely comforting to see that he was dressed in the same garb as Link. But the sight of him shivering, despite the blanket over him and the warm bowl in his hands, was frightening. His eyes were noticeably sunken in, and his hair unkempt. It was almost as if he hadn't slept for days.

"Nicolas! Are…are you…okay?" Link's question trailed off, the answer perfectly laid out before him: Nicolas was not okay, and the shake of his head testified to that.

Link maneuvered around the counter, steadily walking towards his companion. He could tell things had gotten worse for Nicolas under Ganondorf's curse. He just couldn't imagine what could have turned a brave, ambitious warrior-prince like Nicolas into a shy, frightened boy.

As Link approached him even more, Nicolas suddenly shrunk away, curling up even tighter in a pathetic attempt to stay away from him. Link stopped, confused, before Nicolas began to speak.

"I…I don't w-want…t-t-to hurt y-you…" He stumbled, still shivering as he stuttered.

"Nicolas, you're out this time," Link cooed, hoping that his friend would see that. But it was to no avail, for there was no point in saying it.

"I k-know, b-but…please…" Nicolas whispered, closing his eyes in pain. Link waited a moment before trying again.

"Nicolas…I trust you…I trust you with my very life. You need to know, that it's because of this…that you can never bring harm to me…" Link whispered back. Nicolas whimpered a little.

"How do y-you know? How d-do I know?" Nicolas replied, his stutter starting to shrink away. Link had nothing to say to that, but plenty to respond with. He moved forward as quietly as possible, glad that Nicolas's eyes remained closed. After he positioned himself to lean on the armrest of the chair, Link continued.

"Well, look how close I've gotten to you," He said. He got no reply—not even a squeak, much less the opening of his eyes. Nicolas breathed in, and out…in, and out. And Link nearly swore when he realized what had happened: Nicolas had fallen asleep. Exactly how long had he been up?

Before Link could shake him awake, though, Nicolas's shivers grew into spasms. The soup fell out of his hand, clattering to the floor as a mess spread outwards. His face scrunched up in pain, and terror. He was having a nightmare already, and Link was determined to stop it before it got out of control in his head.

"Nicolas! Wake up!" Link cried out, shaking his friend violently, hoping he would awaken. And this time, he woke up, uninfluenced by a curse.

"Wha—Link!" He yelled, surprised. "You're—you're…alright…" At this point, Nicolas sighed, and his gazed turned back to the yellow soup on the floor. Squeezing into the confines of his blanket, the prince began to softly cry. And Link was there, rubbing his back and trying to comfort him after his nightmare—one that seemed to arrive periodically. Nicolas retained some control, though, breathing deep to try and calm himself down.

"I've…I've been having those nightmares…every time I sleep," Nicolas wheezed desperately, before sinking into another fit of tears. "I can't sleep, or eat, or anything!" Muffled it was, but Link could still understand every word of this and that as Nicolas stretched his arm out over the blanket. "And it's because of this stupid, fucking bracelet!"

Link looked down, and sure enough, there was the grey, metal wristband that had once tied Nicolas's and Ganondorf's minds together. It still refused to come off; it was almost like a scar or branding that was the unforgivable key to a suppressed portion of the past—one that Nicolas was trying to bury, but it wouldn't let him.

As this point, Nicolas made to grab the bracelet and attempted to pull it off. At the edges, though, when he tried to do so, healed cuts revealed their existence, as if Nicolas had been trying so hard to get it off of him that he was hurting himself at the same time. Link's hand darted out, holding Nicolas's wrists to make him stop.

"Let me go!" Nicolas growled, trying to pull away from Link.

"Not until you stop hurting yourself!" Link grunted back, holding firm as Nicolas began to squirm. Then Nicolas switched his strength to another direction, and Link suddenly found his friend's hands holding his shirt by the collar. With incredible ease, Nicolas lifted Link from the armrest and tossed him down to the floor, causing him to lose the grip he had.

Link stared up at Nicolas's form, stunned. And it seemed that Nicolas was shocked as well. He stared at his hands, and the stare began a glare as he redirected his sight to his wrist. Still on the floor, Link watched as Nicolas attempted to rip off the metal wristband. A few more moments of strain, and Nicolas began to scream, hurting himself so badly as he tried to remove the object.

But still the bracelet didn't budge, even as blood began to drip down along it. With noticeable qualms in his heart, Nicolas glanced back at Link.

"I'm sorry!" He yelled, and then ran off. Link heard a door open and close somewhere behind him, and it wasn't until he captured his intense, suspenseful breath before bringing himself up.

"Nicolas!" Link called out, but no one answer. A slight wind rustled his features from the front door, which the prince had just apparently scurried out of. But Link didn't know whether he should go after Nicolas or not. He wasn't himself at the moment, stricken by torture aplenty, so Link couldn't determine a smart plan of action.

A little frantic, Link searched around for his things. However, they weren't by the front door, like earlier—although 'earlier' could've been freaking months for all Link knew. He was beginning to get the feeling that his sleep had lasted longer than a few daylight hours. Regardless, everything wasn't boding too well for him.

"Link!" Link jumped, surprised, before remembering to pull out the Pirate's Charm in his pocket.

"What?" He snapped.

"Nicolas is trying to wade into the ocean!" King yelled. Link froze, before bolting straight out the door, dropping the Pirate's Charm on the wooden floor behind him.

Link couldn't recall if he had ever run this fast. Maybe in his haste to rescue Tetra the first time, back in Ganondorf's Tower, he might have run at this speed. But it was a distant memory; now, he ran as if it was his own life at stake, a fine spray of dirt kicking up behind him, even as it turned to sand underneath him.

His feet carried him onto the beach with ease, and Link saw Nicolas. He had waded out pretty far already—it was stunning that he was only waist deep at such a distance. He was lucky, for it must have been a particularly long stretch of shallow water. They all ended the same, though: one sharp drop into the depths.

Link knew better than to try and follow Nicolas through the water. The path was too treacherous for him. He couldn't rely on luck, lest he end up drowning before Nicolas did. And he didn't need his strength sapped if his luck did hold out. So he detoured to the nearby boat.

"Link, I tried to stop him, but he didn't respond," The King of Red Lions voiced, sounding ashamed as Link hopped inside.

"It's okay, but we have to save Nicolas!" Link immediately replied, hoisting the sail as the mast telescoped upward and out. It immediately caught the wind heading away from the island, and Link soon found himself on the dark sea, speeding straight for Nicolas. He had stopped, and Link realized with dread that he had found the edge.

"Nicolas!" Link yelled into the wind, but alas, the gusts were too strong for his voice to be heard. And with dread, and the dropping of his heart, Link watched as Nicolas stepped forward and sank into the sea. His mind began to race: Nicolas couldn't possibly know how to swim. He had never gotten the chance to learn. And Link himself wasn't a strong swimmer; though he tried on many occasions, he couldn't tread for a long time. So how could he rescue Nicolas?

"Link! Use the Grappling Hook!" The boat yelled out.

"I don't have any of my things!"

"Louis left them in the hold for you," Link took a millisecond to realize that this was how King knew who Louis was. But the next few seconds involved him flinging the wood aside and grabbing the rope. From there, he tore down the sail, and let the mast convert to its additional function of a crane. Link roped the Grappling Hook right as the boat coasted to the spot of Nicolas's disappearance, and with haste, the claw dropped into the water like a rock.

Nothing happened for a few moments, except the frantic, head-banging beating of his heart pumping blood at a rate that was way too fast. Link let the rope slip through his hands as it continued to unravel into the ocean.

"C'mon…c'mon…" Link muttered, beginning to shake. What if he was too late? What if Nicolas had already drowned?

And then the rope stopped: it had grabbed something! And that something was violent: the boat was shaking from side to side more than ever, and Link retreated to the opposite end to keep the boat from capsizing. He pulled on the rope as hard as he could, straining against the force pitted against him—and soon enough, the thrashing figure of Nicolas emerged from below, coughing and sputtering, but very much alive. Link tied the rope to a convenient ring on the side of the vessel, right as Nicolas found his voice.

"Let me go!" He screamed, trying to break free harder than ever as the boat shook beneath them.

"No! I don't want you to die!" Link retorted, twisting the crane so that it held Nicolas over the stern.

"No!" Nicolas screeched, trying to pull apart the jaws of the Grappling Hook. "I want to die! I WANT TO DIE!"

* * *

NH3: My God, I find this story absolutely invigorating to write. I'm glad I'm back, and I bet some of you are too, so R&R if that is so. If that isn't so, R&R anyway ;)


	22. By Blood

NH3: Oh. My. God. I owe everyone a HUGE apology for forgetting about this story. I finally got the nerve to keep practicing my craft when I started pressuring AddictionGoneAwry to continue a story he featured my favorite OC in, and I realized how much of a hypocrite I've been.

So here it is: the continuation

* * *

Chapter 22: By Blood

He wanted to die. He needed to die. He _deserved_ to die.

Over and over again, Nicolas's thoughts played on an endless loop as he lay in silence on the bed. They were like the waves of the sea, constantly flowing in and out, ebbing from the force of the tides. Occasionally, Nicolas would forget. He would lie in his little spot of the world and think of nothing in particular. Then pain. And guilt. But mostly pain, in every sense possible.

Nicolas had long ago been thought that there were five portions of a person's health. A person could be damaged in five ways: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

He didn't feel like he had been spared at all. He could feel the scars on his stomach, and the cuts surrounding his brace. He didn't want to live. He was depressed. He felt like he had no one now. And where were the Goddesses? Somewhere that he probably didn't even want to know about.

Nicolas curled up on his side, into himself. He had gotten tired of the wooden ceiling. He stared out into the bare night, where moonlight descended onto the earth and sea through the lightest of clouds. It was beautiful, although Nicolas was less inclined to think so. But the bad thoughts were dimming down again. Perhaps he wasn't really depressed. Maybe he was just suffering from mood swings. _Extreme_ mood swings.

He thought of Link.

Oh, Goddesses. Link. Nicolas didn't know how to say sorry for something he had never actually done. In bed, he shivered: terrible things had commenced. He stared into the evil of his own heart, and found the capability to torture his first, true friend.

It wasn't a pleasant thought. It was what he had been frightened about. What he still _was_ frightened about.

He hurt Link. He killed Link. He needed to die.

Nicolas found himself standing on the window ledge after another moment. Louis's house was conveniently positioned on the edge of a sizable cliff. Nothing extreme—it was, at the very most, a small plateau. But it was high enough. In a single moment, he could end it all. He could become a part of the serene beauty that was displayed before him, and he would never have to think of anything else ever again.

After a while, Nicolas stepped back down onto the bed. He wasn't sure why.

Underneath the covers, Nicolas remained awake. He couldn't sleep. He didn't _want_ to sleep. The nightmares were getting worse…

* * *

Link couldn't sleep.

He hadn't even tried to go to bed after the incident earlier. His adrenaline was too sparked, and his fears too realized for him to drift off.

After Link had retrieved Nicolas, he had hazardously sailed them back to the shore of Yoia. Dragging the kicking and screaming Nicolas through the water, Link had used the rope from the Grappling Hook to securely tie him up. And by then, Nicolas had begun to sob and cry, which just about broke Link's heart. He hated to see his friends in pain. Causing it was a thousand times worse.

As Link effortlessly carried his bound friend through the ghost town, Nicolas begged him not to hurt him. Link ignored him for the moment, hoping that Nicolas would soon believe that he was still in reality. But it got worse: Nicolas pleaded with him not to tie him up, and tie him up by the wrists, and hang him from a banister, and cut him over and over and over, and stab him in the gut. Link paled, and succumbed, tearing away the rope to carry the now placid Nicolas back to their home for the night. He worried about igniting another phobia, but the prince had kept quiet as Link brought him inside and laid him in a spare room, in a spare bed.

Link swore that he would make Ganondorf pay dearly.

The Hero of Winds was now in the kitchen. He had a lot on his mind, and he needed to…well, reorganize.

The Sages were in trouble. Ganondorf had dominion over the Master Sword, which meant that somehow, the magic had failed. But the Sages weren't dead. They just couldn't be! It would be pointless to his nemesis. They would've had their spiritual powers reincarnated. Something else had happened to corrupt the Blade of Evil's Bane.

Chieftain Zano…Link didn't know how to break the news to his companion. He wasn't even sure of the father's condition. Tetra wasn't answering the Pirate's Charm. But that would be an issue soon.

Finally, Ganondorf was after the artifact known only as the Fourth Triforce. It was meant to be a fail-safe against the forces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. But somehow, Ganondorf found out about it after he was released, and a whole, new race had begun.

But at the moment, Link's priorities were more sorted for the most immediate problems. He had to help Nicolas get better. Then he had to check on Chieftain Zano. After, he would have to check on the Sages. And once that was done, depending on the state of things, Link would have to either banish Ganondorf or find the Fourth Triforce before the enemy could.

At the end of these thoughts, Link sighed a little, grabbed his nearby bowl, and dipped it through the lukewarm Elixir Soup nearby. Not even his favorite meal was distracting him from his problems, though.

"Boy?"

Link glanced up from the yellow liquid. Louis had appeared in the hallway entrance. Link noticed something else: something red and yellow cupped in his hands. And then he realized that the old man was holding his Deluxe Picto Box.

"Boy…your name wouldn't happen to be…Link, would it?"

For a moment, Link questioned whether or not the man was senile. Of course his name was Link! How could his host forget that?

That was when he realized that Link hadn't even introduced himself yet. Their first meeting ended with his faint, their second meeting had been pushed aside to help Nicolas…not once had Link said his name.

"Yeah…it's Link."

Louis walked up to the boy and sat down in the counter chair beside him. He held the camera up and pointed at the image being displayed inside. Link leaned over and peered in to see a picture of his grandmother and sister, smiling at the camera, almost as a reassurance to Link that they would do fine, and that they would keep on doing fine. He smiled a little before the old man could say his next words:

"Link…I knew your grandmother…"

"You did?" That certainly gave an explanation to the Elixir Soup.

"Link…I'm your grandfather…we gave birth to your father."

A morbid silence fell over them.

Link paled.

Louis placed the camera on the countertop.

Another moment…

"…Sir?" It was a start, but he had to get this out of the way. "…I'm sorry sir, but if what you say is…true…my father died in a boating accident some ten years ago…"

For a moment, Louis just sat there, contemplating the words. He then lifted his old, broken body from the chair and hobbled back the way he came. At the hallway, he stopped.

"…What you need now is at the top of this island. But you'll have to bring the caller of the currents with you…"

Link could only stare as Louis continued out of sight, back from where he had come.

Link never saw him again.

* * *

Link didn't quite know how to handle the news. Louis was his…grandfather?

Admittedly, he felt a little guilty that he couldn't show any affection towards the man. Although he was grateful that Louis had helped him. But…his grandfather? Another of his kin?

Maybe Link was just a little shaken. But that didn't matter at the moment. He had recognized that odd glow in the old man's eyes when he saw them: that tiny hint of primary color swirls emerging from the whites. The last thing he had said…what they needed now was at the top of the island. Link didn't know what that something was, but he knew the Goddesses were sending him that message. It didn't matter that the phenomenon had never happened before, but the Hero of Winds recognized it.

He couldn't bring Nicolas though. Link was expecting a treacherous path, and then a treacherous climb. He couldn't keep an eye on the prince, especially in the state he was in. Mere hours ago had been the time of his first attempt at suicide—and he almost succeeded. Link felt uneasy about leaving him in a room with a window—but that couldn't be helped. Nowhere was really safe when he thought about it. He could only hope that Nicolas had come to his senses. Or that Link had accidentally scared him into passiveness.

Again, Ganondorf was going to pay.

Especially if Nicolas died.

Link rummaged through the boat, grabbing his travel clothes, his supplies, and his items. The King of Red Lions had been silent the whole time, probably for good measure. Link sort of despised the silence though.

"Hey, King…what's up with you?"

"…It's a lot, Link. A lot has happened. It's a good time to clear my head."

Link was taken aback. He had never heard the King so…somber before…

"Where are you going?"

"Oh…Louis told me…the Goddesses told me through him…that what we needed was at the top of the island."

"What do you need?"

"I don't know…"

The King sighed and bowed his head. Link did the same as he grabbed his Hero's Bow and the accompanying quiver. "I'll see you in the morning."

King didn't reply as Link scampered off across the shore.

* * *

Link could sense the fine spray of sand he was kicking up. It promptly disappeared as his feet stepping onto solid, dark green grass. He continued his jog through town, and to the path that would lead up the mountain.

When he reached it, Link was vaguely impressed, but intimidated. The start of the path was dark and foreboding; wedged in between two rock faces to form a sort of miniature pass. He gulped: he wanted to take this by day, but he also wanted to get Nicolas off of the island as fast as possible, to return him to his father. So with a gulp, he began to walk into the shadows.

Hero of Winds and keeper of the Triforce of Courage he was: the fears quickly subsided as the shadows gave way before his impressive cat eyes—an adaptation he had picked up back during his first overarching quest in the Great Sea. He could see every twist and turn, despite the fact that the moon didn't shine down from above.

What he ended up missing, however, was a thin, tiny rope about half a foot above the floor. He felt it though. Unfortunately for him, he didn't think: he tripped the trap.

Link's mind became a blur. There were monsters around. They had set up booby traps. He had just tripped one. He had no clue what was coming.

Link heard a rumble around him. He snapped his head back towards the way he had come. Nothing. He looked ahead of him. Nothing. And then he looked up.

The pass had gotten taller. Regardless, the rock slide heading his way was more falling than sliding down the cliff. Link began to run, but another glance told him that this trap was meant to bury an entire section of the pass. Even as he ran, he grimly knew that he wasn't going to make it.

It was at that point that Link heard another pair of footsteps. He could distinguish them because they were a lot lighter and a lot faster. And they were heading straight for him.

Before Link knew it, he had been lifted off the ground, and sped up to a much faster speed than he had previously managed. A glance up, and he was looking into the hazel eyes of Nicolas.

"Nicolas?" Link squeaked, before noticing that they were almost crushed. "Hurry!"

Link had nothing to fear. Nicolas could easily outrun the danger zone. When the rocks crashed down behind them, he placed the Hero down and crossed his arms.

"Thanks—"

"Shut up!" Nicolas ordered, and Link was obliged to comply. "I heard what Louis told you! And yet you still decided to go without me? Stupid, stupid, stupid…you obviously need me, dammit! I'm not worthless!"

Nicolas gave a huff, glaring at Link. Link, however, had nothing to say. His thoughts summed up his response nicely: _Very extreme mood swings._

"Current Caller."

Link stared at Nicolas, puzzled at the outstretched hand. The modified glare called him an idiot.

"Give back the Current Caller."

"Oh…" Link blushed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the black wand. It hummed with energy even as his gently passed it to Nicolas, who snatched it away from Link and held it close. The prince took a couple steps back, genuinely pissed at Link.

Which was an emotion Link found weird. He couldn't recall a single time when Nicolas had been anything but complacent towards him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to deal with any more side effects of that curse.

Link suddenly heard the sound of wood meeting stone.

"Goddesses dammit all…" Nicolas muttered as his hand soar an uneven path to the weapon on his back. That was when Link realized that Nicolas did not have his eyesight developed for the dark yet. Now Link had reason to be irritated: he was all alone in this fight, he had to protect the prince, and he hadn't seen his new opponent yet.

So of course, when Link turned around, he groaned when he faced about five people. Five very angry people. Five very angry people wearing fur and skins. They had wandered into some sort of tribal territory.

Link was vaguely glad that he had packed for this foray.

"Can you speak our language?" He tried, noticing the wooden spears everyone held. He didn't get a verbal reply. There was a sharp voice, commanding the others, and four of them prepared their weapons while one stepped back. "Great."

Without pausing, Link drew his Sword and Mirror Shield. He kind of wished that there was a sliver of moon so that he could blind one and deal with the others, but alas, he sometimes had the worst luck.

Well, lately, he had been having nothing but the worst luck. The opponents quickly fanned out, ready to overpower him. Link tightened himself into his stance, gritting his teeth and bracing himself.

He nearly jumped and slashed a response when he felt a hand meet his shoulder. As he relaxed just a little bit, Nicolas pulled himself into the space ahead of Link.

"I've got this." He grinned, and Link did not like it. And the Hero shivered: were his companions eyes…glowing red?

One of them, on the far right, took the moment to make the first strike—a dashed charge.

What happened in the next few moments was so fast that Link was surprised he could keep up. Nicolas rushed at the man in response, jumped, and light as a feather, he skittered the length of the pole and grabbed the man. Without touching the ground, Nicolas countered his balance off the enemy as his drew his own special, retracted spear, and proceeded to drive it into the neck. There was a sickening gurgle as he crumpled, and Nicolas gently landed on the ground. His spear elongated.

"Come and get it," He teased wickedly. The other three hesitated, but the middle two somehow agreed, with an interchanged look, that two against one would easily take care of the kid before them.

They were sorely mistaken.

One swung from the side towards Nicolas. The prince proceeded to jump up, and when the spear had passed underneath him, his own spear impaled the ground, and he used that as a vault to land his legs around the attacker's legs.

The other tried to stab at him, to ward him off of his friend's head. Nicolas merely batted the spear away, and twisted. Link heard a dreadful crack, and Nicolas padded onto the ground again. Another swing later, the third attacker had fallen a little too within Nicolas's range.

The fourth attacker tried to run, in the direction of the fifth man, who had been watching with fear. Nicolas pursued, and ran up against the wall. He pushed off over the two heads, and as they glanced up to look, Nicolas somersaulted, spear outstretched. In midair, he slashed both necks up as he came down, and once more, he landed on his feet. His spear retracted.

Link watched from the small distance as Nicolas let loose a freezing cold laugh. It was then that the prince noticed his own bladed spear, coated in blood. He brought it up to his face for inspection.

Link couldn't blink, nor turn away, as almost instinctively, Nicolas stretched out his tongue and took a taste. In fact, he very nearly threw up.

"Ugh!" Nicolas cried out, coughing and spitting whatever he could out. Link could only stare as Nicolas's entire demeanor suddenly shifted. The prince opened his eyes and looked around, trying to peer into the dark.

"Link? Are you there?" He asked, before sniffing. "Is…is that blood?"

Apparently, Nicolas could see well enough to noticed the liquid on his own blade. He stared, and then stared out at the bodies around him that he could barely see, and then licked his finger, wondering what that foul taste was. When he saw dark on his finger, Nicolas blankly stared into the shadows.

"Link…w-what….what h-have I d-done?" He stammered. He then collapsed. Link suddenly found feeling back in his legs and rushed up to his friend. He relaxed, but only slightly: Nicolas had simply fainted. He would be woken up at any time.

"Nicolas…what did Ganondorf do to you...?" Link asked, feeling tears of pain in his eyes. He wiped them away before they could possibly show, and proceeded to begin shaking Nicolas awake again.

* * *

NH3: So yeah…I'm very sorry for leaving this story alone. I'll try to update at least once a week…


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